Cotton Bud Colour Match

from 24 months · 10-15 min · Fine motor

What you need

Draw four big circles on the cardboard, one in each colour, and poke five holes inside each circle with the pencil.
Colour one end of each cotton bud with a felt tip so you have some of every colour.
Show them how to pick a red cotton bud and push it into a hole in the red circle.
Let them match the rest, naming each colour as it goes in.
Pull them all out and play again.

Matching a colour and poking it into a hole is two jobs at once, and the full circles show them it is done.

Finger and thumb grip: Holding a thin cotton bud upright and pushing it in takes careful fingers.
Matching: Finding the circle that goes with the bud is early sorting.
Naming colours: Every bud gives you a colour to say together.

Watch whether they look at the colour first or just push it in anywhere. Point to the circle and let them check.

Stay close with cotton buds and put them away straight after. Never let them near ears or noses.

Easier: use just two colours and bigger holes

Harder: mix every colour into one pile and ask them to fill one circle at a time