Supplies:
Pom-poms
Cupcake pan or egg carton
Kid-friendly tongs, tweezers, spoons, etc.
This is a super simple, tried and true activity that ought to buy you enough time to enjoy a hot cup of coffee (or join your discussion group) in peace. Simply provide your kiddo with a cupcake pan (metal or silicone work great), some kid friendly tweezers, tongs, or big spoons, and a bowl full of brightly colored pom-poms. You can find pom-poms in all different sizes online, so even if your little one is still mouthing things, you should be able to find giant ones that are safe for them to play with. As always, if you’re concerned it may end up in someone’s mouth, please be sure to supervise the activity.
My boys love to use different kitchen utensils to carry the pom-poms across the room and place them in the cupcake wells. You can have the kids count, sort by color or size, race against the clock, scoop, pour, toss, and stack! We love pom-poms in my house, and you can find them in almost every room at this point (they seem to multiply overnight). My three-year-old uses them as pretend food in his play kitchen, he hides them and then searches for his “treasure,” he rolls them down car ramps, and makes pictures with them on the floor. My one-year-old mostly likes to throw them. But hey, whatever works, right?
Pro-Tips:
- Different sizes, colors, and textures (they have sparkly ones!) make this a great sensory activity!
- To make the fun last even longer, provide empty Tupperware containers, bowls, etc for the kids to fill up and pour out.
- For older kiddos, you can wrap tape (sticky side out) around the end of a wooden spoon and see if they can “fish” for pom-poms. How many can they catch?
Real Moms. Real Life. 