Pots And Pans Band

What you need

• a few pots and bowls
• a wooden spoon
• a low table or tray
• soft cushions to sit on

How to do it

1. Set out a few pots and bowls with a wooden spoon on a tray on the floor.
2. Show them a gentle bang, then let them find their own rhythm.
3. Bang along together and change it up - fast, slow, loud, quiet.

Why it matters

Banging with growing control builds the grip strength and arm co-ordination they'll later use for scribbling and eating with cutlery.

What they're learning

rhythm control

banging steadily instead of randomly is an early sign of the timing they'll need for clapping games and music lessons later.

grip strength

holding and swinging a spoon builds the same hand muscles used for holding a pencil and cutlery.

cause and effect

hearing a different sound from each pot teaches them that changing what they do changes what happens.

What to look for

Bangs with a steady back-and-forth rhythm rather than random hits.

A tip

Put a towel under the tray to take the edge off the noise if you're downstairs from neighbours.

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Guides that use this activity

Things a toddler can do while you cook Keep them in the kitchen, low down and busy, rather than sending them away.