Colander Poke
What you need
- a plastic colander
- four or five pipe cleaners with both ends folded over
How to do it
- Turn the colander upside down on the floor or a low table.
- Push one pipe cleaner into a hole so it stands up, and say "In it goes."
- Hand them the next one and let them find a hole and push it in.
- When they are all in, pull them out one by one and start again.
Why it matters
Finding a small hole and pushing something through it is the first half of threading, with nothing else to hold at the same time.
What they're learning
- Threading
- Finding the hole and pushing the end through it.
- Pincer grip
- Holding the pipe cleaner near its end between finger and thumb.
- Aiming
- Lining the end up with one small hole.
What to look for
Watch for them lining the end up with a hole before they push.
A tip
Fold both ends of every pipe cleaner over before you start, and stay close. Pipe cleaners are for the colander, not for mouths, and they all go back in the pot afterwards.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: start each pipe cleaner in a hole and let them push it the rest of the way
Harder: ask for one in a hole near the top, then one near the edge
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