Click here to read Simple Stacking Cups Activity for Toddlers on Hands On As We Grow®
This stacking cups activity for toddlers came out of nowhere and in a time of frustration and need to keep my toddler busy!
I just drew a blank.
I didn’t know what to have my toddler, George do. He was getting into the laundry while I was folding it.
I was about to go nuts. I needed something for him to do.
I drew a blank, though. What can a toddler do?
Duh.
I just made a list of 50 activities just for your toddler.
And I still couldn’t think of one.
So I thought about my list. What on there could I do at that very moment? What did I have handy and takes no preparation?
Ah. Stacking Cups.
Thank you to The Imagination Tree for the idea!
I have plastic cups.
What do toddlers learn from stacking cups?
When toddlers stack cups, nest them, and build with them, they are learning important hand-eye coordination that is fundamental knowledge.
Cups are bigger than smaller wooden blocks, so it may be easier for toddlers to stack which gives them the confidence.
It also stirs a sense of wonder when cups nest inside each other. Where did the cup go? Is it still there? Toddlers will find this fascinating and love to explore more.
So, I set out a stack of a few plastic cups and just let George just play with them.
However he wanted to. I didn’t offer suggestions of how to stack cups, or lead him in any way.
He transferred them from one pile and made another.
Tried it upside down, pretty much any way you could possibly put a cup together with another cup, he tried.
And he just played.
With plastic cups.
Who knew stacking cups could be so much fun for a toddler!?
Huh. How simple.
By the way, my laundry still didn’t get folded. I was fascinated watching my toddler stack cups the whole time!
Oh well.
It totally could have been an activity to keep my toddler busy while I got something done, but sometimes you want to enjoy the moments with them too.
Plastic Cups : #6 Plastic : Shrinky Dinks
I did notice though that these cups are #6 plastic! When making the list of recyclables you must upcycle for your kids, I remembered Creative With Kids used this plastic to make shrinky dinks!
We’re so doing that. I told Henry about it and he was super excited (I even got the oven ready for it…), but he got distracted by Dad and headed outside instead. So, another time we’ll be making some shrinky dinks! Can’t wait!
Stacking Cups Activity for Older Toddlers & Preschoolers
A couple years later, when Louis was a bit older and in the toddler stage as well, I brought out the plastic cups again.
This time, I played along next to him to see how we could stack the cups.
We really enjoyed seeing how tall we could stack the cups and what different ways we could stack them together.
They don’t just need to be upside down, try stacking cups bottom to bottom and top to top!
It adds in an element of balancing that is a little more advanced for older toddlers and preschoolers.
0 Commentaires