#CRAFTING Fiddle fingers
Babies love playing with real bits and bobs, not plastic toy versions. Make this easy activity board with things you have lying around the house.
Choose a piece of wood or plank of about 40 x 60 cm in size. The bigger it is, the more elements you can add, but keep in mind the length of your baby’s arm. Don’t use any parts that are smaller than a R5 coin. Observe your baby all the time during play. Knobs and buttons and anything that can be pressed, pushed or turned, or anything that makes a noise will be popular. Take a closer look at some of the photographs for ideas and then scavenge in your garage at home. You probably won’t have to buy anything!
KEYS. Why do babies love them so much? At least for this project you can make sure the keys are clean and sterilised before you attach them to the board on a long chain. Much better than having your own keys chewed and destroyed.
NESTING CUPS. Occupational therapists agree: If your baby has only one toy, let it be a set of nesting cups. Here the big cup is glued onto the board and your baby has to problem solve to make the smaller cups fit.
DECORATE THE BOARD WITH ODD BUTTONS. Superglue them in place. All the elements you choose can be glued or nailed on. You could also use thin wire, for the buttons, for instance.
LIGHT SWITCH. Your baby will love the satisfying snap of the switch, even though it won’t make the light come on. The dimmer switch for turning is a big challenge for little hands.
TAP. Small hands learn a lot by the twisting movement that is needed to open and close a tap. Drill a hole in the board, and attach the tap securely. Make sure you don’t choose a tap that is too stiff for a baby to move.
LITTLE BELLS ON A RIBBON will be batted with gusto! We recommend you buy Lindt chocolate figurines, as many of them come with a little bell attached around the neck – just perfect for this project. (The chocolate tastes good too, of course – Ed.)
FINISH OFF YOUR PROJECT WITH A DAB OF BLACKBOARD PAINT in the centre. You even get magnetic blackboard paint now, so a few large magnets can add even more fun to the activity board.
MORE IDEAS: You could add a zip, old fabric or carpet swatches, fake flowers and even a small mirror. Just beware of sharp corners.
TIN AND BUTTON. Cut a slit into the lid of a small tin, just big enough for big buttons to fit through. (Remember the R5 coin size rule.) Stick the back of the tin in place. Little ones love the ka-ching sound of a button in a metal tin. You could also use a glass jar and lid. Decorate the tin to make it even more enticing.
PEGS are great for practising fine motor skills. Attach a ribbon to the board, and paint the pegs. For children of 10 months, two primary colours are just fine. They can’t name the colours yet, but they will begin to notice that the two pegs are different and will be able to peg them on in a certain way if you encourage it.
DOOR CHAIN. All hardware stores have these, and they aren’t expensive at all. Your baby will feel a real sense of achievement when he manages to fit and slide the end of the chain in the right place.