How to make a chopstick threading activity

I made this simple chopstick threading activity in a few minutes, but it's sure to keep Little Bean amused for much longer.

You will need:

A cylindrical container with a plastic lid, e.g. Pringles
5 chopsticks
A hole punch, craft knife or box cutter

Punch or cut holes in the plastic lid.
Fit lid to container.
Thread chopsticks through holes.

I originally planned to use plastic drinking straws for this. I ended up using chopsticks because LB is chewing on everything at the moment and I didn't think that straws would last very long.

I love this scrapbooking tool kit from Making Memories. It includes several hole punches and blades that are great for projects like this.

Bath Time Fun

Little Bean loves to have a bath. There's no problem getting him into the bath, but getting him out can be a hassle. Luckily, we have lots of cool things to do to pass the time.

To help keep him safe, I bought him a bath seat. I got this one at Big W in Australia. It has suction cups on the bottom to stick it to the bathtub.

I love this bath thermometer from Canpol. It makes it super easy to get the bath water just right. I got this from Con Cung baby store in Ho Chi Minh City. They have lots of stores across Vietnam and have a delivery service that is free for purchases over 199,000 VND (AUD$10). The delivery fee is only 20,000 VND (AUD$1) for purchases under 199,000 VND.

We use this Aveeno bath soap for Little Bean. It is gentle on his skin and his eczema. They have a great range of bath and skin products that are suitable for eczema sufferers.

 

Little Bean has a lovely Nanna who has given him some great bath toys. She gave me these stick-on stars when he was born. They have suction cups on the bottom and they are textured on top. This made them great for putting on the bottom of his baby bath to sit on so he wouldn't slip. Now that he's older, he likes to stick them on the sides of the bath and the tile wall.

Nanna also gave him these stacking bath cups from Bruin. Little Beans can stack them or use them to scoop up water and watch it dribble through the holes in the bottom. The top cup has a water wheel in it.

This fabulous waterfall toy is from Nanna too. It's from Fisher & Price. You can stick the toys on to the wall in various orders, and pour water through the top. It's a great way to show Little Bean cause and effect. He really likes it when the lobster dumps the water out of the bucket.

These squeaky animal toys are so cute. We usually have a plastic jug in the bath and Little Bean likes to put these toys in and out of it. He also uses a large slotted spoon to scoop them out of the water. I'll add another step soon and get him to scoop them and then put them into the jug.

How to make your own sorting toys

These sorting toys are really quick and easy to make.

You'll need:
Baby milk cans with plastic resealable lids
Eucalyptus oil
Stanley trimmer (box cutter) or similar blade
Pencil or marker pen
Items for sorting (I used wooden blocks, plastic lids and plastic chew toys.)
Wrapping paper, adhesive contact or coloured packing tape (optional)

Make sure that your baby milk cans are the kind with no sharp edges. Clean any sticky label residue off with eucalyptus oil. Wash and dry the cans thoroughly.

Trace the shape of the toy on to the plastic can lid. Put the lid on the can and cut out the shape with your Stanley knife.

If you want your sorting cans to be more decorative, cover the outside with wrapping paper, adhesive contact or coloured packing tap.

 

Sensory Tub - Rice & Animals

We tried our first sensory tub last week. I figured that since we live in Vietnam, why not use the local staple food and play with rice. Little Bean had a blast.


This activity packed nicely into a tub with a lid. Easy to pack away and bring out again as needed. Great for days when I want a ready-made activity at short notice.

 Little Bean had fun just unpacking the box and exploring the items. I included some small squeaky animal toys, a large baby spoon, a Vietnamese style soup spoon, a small plastic bowl, a cup, a jug and one of his stacking cups.

He watched as I hid the animals in the rice, then it was his job to find them. We did this a few times until he lost interest.

Then I pushed the cups and bowl into the rice so that they wouldn't fall over. I showed him how to pick up rice with his hand and sprinkle it into the cups, which he copied. Then I showed him how to scoop rice with the spoons into the cups and let him try it. Mostly, he just wanted to scoop it on to the floor. He also did some pouring from the cup into the tub.






This activity kept him amused for around 20 - 25 minutes. I learnt that if you do an activity like this, don't put pants with cuffs on your baby. If you didn't notice that the cuffs were full of rice, I imagine you'd get it everywhere. Luckily I noticed as we leaving the bathroom.



Doing this first sensory tub activity has strengthened my resolve to make a sensory tub table. I'll buy a cheap wooden table and cut a hole out of the middle that I can slot the tub into. It was a little hard on my back doing this activity on the floor and at times it was difficult for Little Bean to balance and maneuver around. I think it would be much easier for him to do whilst standing at a table. Then we'd also have the surrounding table top to use during the activity as well.