Rainy Day Fun: Pom Pom Play

I know I have posted several times about pom poms, but I can't get over how versatile they are! I have really enjoyed seeing the different ways my kids play with them. It's also the first time I have seen our 19-month-old so engaged in purposeful play. It's a sign that my baby's growing up *sniff sniff* but also very encouragingly a sign that he's becoming more independent in his play.

E and I are both down with a bad flu, leaving us both tired and listless, so today was the perfect time to get out the toilet rolls I've been saving and let him entertain himself for a bit! Here's a list of other simple household items we got from around the house.

Items Needed:

Toilet rolls

Pom poms (Art Friend is a good source, we got ours from Amazon)

Assorted containers

Straws/ sticks

I just showed him how to stuff the first pom pom into the toilet roll, arranged all the other items in front of him, and the invitation to play began!

E was intrigued by how the pom poms "vanished" into the roll. Then, he was amazed at how he could get them to pop out once there were too many inside. He also used a stick to try to push them out. This was great for his fine motor skills! He experimented with volume and capacity and discovered that the smaller ones popped out right away but the bigger ones got stuck. When he finally got bored, he put the container on Daddy's head and decided to use the stick as an elephant's trunk, trumpeting loudly.

This occupied him for more than half an hour! I also really enjoyed seeing him figure his way around the simple everyday materials. One of the things I love most about parenting is that it helps me look anew at the ordinary things around me; through the eyes of a child there is always interest and discovery.

(Note: If your toddler is still at the mouthing stage, do supervise the use of pom poms. Please leave out the sticks if you are leaving him to play unsupervised - I was closely watching him today and made sure he was using the stick safely. )

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