Clothespins + Empty Box

January 11, 2020Leave a comment

Clothespin Box (6)

This is one of those classic games for toddlers that checks all the boxes: only two supplies needed, great for fine motor skills, and endlessly entertaining.

For Veronika at 14-months-old, I used clothespins that simply slot on (without a hinge). Older toddlers can definitely work their pincher grip here with the kind that pinch open and shut!

I set a few of the clothespins along the rim of an empty stacking box, and she immediately began pulling them off and dumping them into the box. This was great fun!

Clothespin Box (2)

Soon she wanted to imitate my ability to hook the clothespins on. This took a bit more coordination, turning until the slot lined up just the right way. She was so proud when she made it work!

Clothespin Box (3)

It kept her busy and concentrating for quite some time.

Clothespin Box (5)

Another fantastic toddler activity that you can put together in a, well, pinch!

Clothespin Box (7)

Clothespin Grasshopper

October 5, 2018October 5, 2018Leave a comment

Grasshopper (6)

We were invaded by an army of grasshopper this morning! Okay, perhaps not really, but you only need a few materials to make a whole batch of these buggy friends, and Travis loved having lots to play with.

First, color clothespins with green marker (or use green paint, in a pinch).

Grasshopper (1)

For the legs, cut green pipe cleaners in half. Insert one half towards the front, and one half in back, then bend down to shape the legs.

Grasshopper (2)

I had to wrap the back leg pipe cleaner around the clothespin to secure it in place, since it wasn’t pinched, which resulted in slightly crooked critters; cut the front pipe cleaner shorter if you want to offset this imbalance!

Travis was so eager to play with one that I drew on eyes with marker.

Grasshopper (4)

For the rest of our green horde, we glued on googly eyes and let dry.

Grasshopper (5)

Get hopping!

Grasshopper (3)

Tablecloth Clip Creatures

September 22, 2017October 8, 2017Leave a comment

Tablecloth Clip (6)

A recent dot painting extravaganza reminded me that it’s useful to cover our work space (also Travis’s table for eating), when a craft gets particularly messy; a tablecloth clipped onto a table does the job in a pinch – so why not make the clips to hold it functional and adorable?

Tablecloth Clip (1)

To craft these little creatures, we used small pom poms and clothespins. Travis actually lost interest in forming insects quite quickly when he discovered that he could pick up pom poms with the clothespins – but this was such great practice for his fine motor skills that I was happy to let him continue!

Tablecloth Clip (2)

Meanwhile, we ended up with a variety of bugs, including a butterfly, caterpillar, and bee. Older kids will definitely love mapping out how their creatures look, and selecting which materials work best for which insect. Construction paper made for easy wings, and pipe cleaner pieces were perfect for antennae.

Tablecloth Clip (3)