Lid Match Up

What you need

• plastic tubs
• tub lids

How to do it

1. Collect five or six plastic tubs of different sizes and take all their lids off.
2. Mix the lids into one pile and spread the tubs out on the floor.
3. Ask your toddler to find the lid that fits each tub, testing more than one if needed.
4. Once every tub has its own lid, mix them up again and try for a faster time.
5. Stack the matched tubs together to finish.

Why it matters

Sizing a lid against a tub before trying it on is an early comparison skill, the exact judgement they will use matching socks or shoes later. Every tub in this pile is on its way to the recycling once the matching game is done.

What they're learning

Sorting

Testing a lid against more than one tub before choosing is early size sorting.

Focus & persistence

Working through every tub until each has its own lid keeps them on the task.

Hand-eye coordination

Lining a lid up with a tub's rim ties what they see to how they place it.

What to look for

Watch for them holding a lid over a tub to check the size before pressing down, rather than pressing every lid onto every tub.

A tip

Rinse and dry the tubs first and swap out any with cracked or rough edges.

More like this

Worn-In Shirt from 26 months · 5-10 min Whisk Air Bubbles from 18 months · 5-10 min First Scribble Page from 24 months · 20-35 min Write What They Say from 30 months · 10-15 min