Toddlers often fixate on a category when they first learn it (animals, body parts, a new song, etc), practicing endlessly. And then just as suddenly, they drop it! I noticed that Veronika doesn’t name her colors often anymore, so thought that a quick review might be fun. A bunch of empty coffee canisters were the exact tool I needed!

I originally intended to make three sets of coffee can + matching clothespins in the primary colors of red, yellow, and blue. But I had no blue paint or paper! Instead, I painted two cans (red and yellow), and covered the third in purple construction paper. Either method works fine.

Then use paint or marker to color craft clothespins (i.e. the kind with no spring) in corresponding colors.

I gave Veronika a whole jumble of the clothespins the next morning, and first she just wanted to play with them for a while.

Then I asked her, “Where does your purple clothespin go? Purple goes in the purple can!”

“Purple in purple!” she said with delight. After that, I really didn’t have to guide her on this; she loved matching the clothespins into the can of the same hue.

Although of course sometimes there was a rogue yellow in the red, for example.

I left the cans open, with no lids, so she could easily drop in the clothespins. That kept the focus on the color aspect of the game.

That said, don’t forget that clothespins and coffee cans are also great for practicing precision (dropping through a hole in the lid) or for honing the pincer grip (if you use spring-type clothespins).

To remind her of this, we did momentarily place the clothespins around the rim of a paper plate, which then became another fun activity all on its own.