Push and pull with straws

What you need

• An old box such as an empty cereal carton Straws
• Scissors or sharp tool for creating holes in the carton

Benefits

This finger gym experience will really support your child’s fine motor skills, encouraging use of their fingers to grab objects rather than just a whole handed grasp that is first used by babies, before their fingers strengthen. Having to pull out the straws and push them into the holes will also improve hand-eye coordination and problem-solving abilities.

The experience

Prepare your materials - you will need to poke holes into the carton, big enough for the straws to be poked through and pulled out.

Once you have completed this you can set it up in an area for your baby or toddler to explore. This could be placed on the floor for them to explore during tummy time or whilst sitting up or on a table or high chair tray.

Let your child explore for themself for a little while and see if they can work out that they can pull the straws out. After observing and watching what they do, you may like to model to your child how they can pull the straw out/poke it back into the hole.