The other day, I was looking for a quick activity that would be fun for Buddy. He gets bored with his toys after awhile, so I’m constantly looking for new activities using materials in our home.
I grabbed an empty water bottle and a handful of straws. We only have the tall straws right now, so I cut them down to fit inside the bottle. When I set out the materials, Buddy was immediately interested in them. He wasn’t quite sure what to do with them, though, until I showed him how to put a straw in the bottle.
What do I do with these?
Since Buddy loves putting objects in containers, he was really excited about putting the straws in the bottle. It took a lot of concentration, but he could do it.
Wow! Look what I can do!
After putting a couple straws in the bottle, Buddy shook it to check if it makes noise. (He loves making noise even more than putting objects in containers!) The straws did make some noise, but they also quickly popped out of the bottle.
Uh oh!
What do I do now, Mom?
Buddy happily continued that cycle for awhile. He put the straws in the bottle, shook them out, and then started over again. He was very entertained for about 15 minutes, and then came back to the activity on and off several times after that. It was a lot of fun for him, and so easy to put together. I know we’ll do it again soon.
Wonderful! Fabulous! When can I buy the book?
What age was Buddy when he did this activity?
Buddy was 14 months when he first did this activity, and it was a favorite until around age 2. We even did a travel version of this with a small water bottle and cut down straws.
Just done this for the first time with my 11MO. It honestly kept her more entertained than any toy. It was certainly a challenge for her ITO fine motor skills and problem solving but she got it and it was amazing to see the concentration on her face.
I’m so glad this went well for you! Buddy loved this activity more than other toys at that age too. Thanks for reading!