Muffin Tray Sort

from 26 months · 10-15 min · Fine motor

What you need

Put the large pom-poms in a bowl beside the muffin tray. Anything that fits through a toilet roll tube is too small.
Show them scooping one into a spoon and dropping it into the next cup.
Let them fill each cup, counting how many go in.
Tip them all back together and start again if they want another go.

Scooping and dropping pom-poms one cup at a time builds the same precise control they'll need for pouring their own cereal.

spoon control: Scooping without spilling builds the steady hand they'll use for feeding themselves neatly.
sorting by cup: Filling separate cups one at a time is early sorting, a building block for later maths grouping.
focused attention: Concentrating on not spilling stretches how long they can stay on one careful task.

Notice if they slow their hand down right before dropping the pom-pom, aiming rather than just tipping.

Use large pom-poms only. Buttons and dried pasta are too small to swap in, so leave them out.

Easier: let them use fingers instead of a spoon

Harder: hand them small tongs and ask for one colour per cup