Twist The Lid

from 26 months · 5-10 min · Fine motor

What you need

clear plastic tubs with screw lids
toys or large pom-poms to hide inside, too big to fit through a toilet roll tube

Hide a toy inside a plastic tub and screw the lid on loosely. Anything that fits through a toilet roll tube is too small.
Let your toddler twist the lid off to find the surprise inside.
Swap the toy and hand it back so they can screw the lid back on.
Line up a few tubs and let them work through all of them.

Twisting a lid works the same muscles they'll need for turning taps, opening lunchboxes and using cutlery.

wrist twisting: The screwing motion strengthens the exact wrist turn they'll use to open their own water bottle.
two-hand coordination: Holding the tub steady with one hand while twisting with the other trains hands to work as a team.
cause and effect: Realising twisting reveals the hidden toy builds understanding that their actions make things happen.

Watch for them holding the tub still with one hand rather than turning the whole tub around.

Start with lids loosely on, most toddlers get frustrated fast if the first few turns don't move anything.

Easier: loosen the lid a lot so one turn pops it off

Harder: screw the lid on fully so it takes several turns