In the on-going search for household items that keep little hands busy, today’s installation features… drawer knobs! I have a set that I’m saving for one of those “someday” projects, but I realized today they had a current use keeping Veronika occupied.

I twisted off the tiny pieces first (nuts, washers), leaving her with just the screws, the drawer knobs, and the decorative metal backplates. These three components seemed too large to be choking hazards, although I do recommend supervising play like this since even the blunt screws could be a hazard if stepped on or chewed on.

The idea was for Veronika to line up the screw with the hole of each knob, and she was so proud – and delighted! – that she could do so.

Sometimes she had the screw turned the wrong way, which meant it didn’t fit into the hole. I showed her how to turn it around for a big smile of success.

At one point, she did throw a tiny tantrum over it. She threw the items on the floor, and discovered they made fantastic noises! Then she was back to screws and knobs.

She liked the way the knobs spun around on the screws.

When she experimented with the backplate on the screw, she discovered that it made a great jangling noise. Almost like little baby cymbals!

This activity was great for her fine motor skills, but again you can’t quite call it toddler busy play since you’ll need to supervise.