Nesting Boxes
What you need
- small boxes
- large box
How to do it
- Gather a large box and two or three smaller boxes that fit inside it.
- Show your toddler nesting the smaller boxes inside the large one, one at a time.
- Tip them all out again and let them try fitting the boxes back in themselves.
- Line the boxes up by size afterwards, biggest to smallest.
Why it matters
Working out which box fits inside which is early size comparison, done with real boxes instead of a shape sorter. Every box in the pile is heading for the recycling once the nesting game is done.
What they're learning
- Sorting
- Working out which box fits inside which is early size comparison in action.
- Focus & persistence
- Testing box after box until each one finds its place keeps them on the task.
- Hand-eye coordination
- Lining an edge up before it goes in ties what they see to where their hands go.
What to look for
Watch for them turning a box to test more than one way in before it goes in flat.
A tip
Flatten any box edges that have gone soft or sharp before handing them over.
Make it easier or harder
Easier: use just two boxes, one inside the other
Harder: add a fourth box and ask them to find the order themselves
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Fine motor activities · Activities for 1 year olds · Activities for 18 month olds · Activities for 2 year olds · Toddler activities with a cardboard box