Toddler Play with Pinecones and Tissue Paper
Our recent Toddler Play with Straws and Cotton Swabs was a great success, and today’s Toddler Play with Pinecones and Tissue Paper squarely hit the mark, too 🙂
And I recommend you add these fun toddler activities to your list, too!
My toddler is a very busy little guy who can be very wild, but at the right time, he also adores toddler boredom busters that use simple materials and provide an opportunity for open-ended sensory exploration. That is why this toddler play is perfect!
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Toddler Play with Pinecones and Tissue Paper Supplies
- Pinecones.
- Colorful tissue paper.
- A small sensory bin (optional).
Recommended Toddler Books
You will love how colorful and engaging these books are! Perfect for early learners!
Pigeon Pack (4 Book Set) (The Pigeon Finds a Hot Dog!; Don’t Let Pigeon the Stay Up Late!; The Pigeon Wants a Puppy!; Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!) by Mo Willems (2010-05-03)The Very Hungry CaterpillarAre You My Mother? (Big Bright & Early Board Book)By Dr. Seuss – Mr. Brown Can Moo! Can You? Dr. Seuss’s Book of Wonderful NoisesGo, Dog. Go! (Big Bright & Early Board Book)Can I Play Too?-An Elephant and Piggie Book
Recommended Toddler Educational Toys
Are you struggling to keep your toddler busy and learning at the same time? These educational toys will help you achieve that.
VIPAMZ Peg Board Set Toys-Montessori Occupational Therapy Fine Motor Skills Toy, Suitable for Toddlers and Preschoolers Over 3+ Year Old. 25 Tall-Stacker Pegs Rubber 8Play Brainy Lacing Beads for Kids – 36-Piece Lacing Beads Kit with Multicolored Polygon Beads and 4 Strings – Jumbo Primary Lacing Beads, Montessori Toys, Occupational Therapy Toys for Ages 3 and UpMelissa & Doug Deluxe Wooden Pound-A-Peg Toy With HammerMelissa & Doug Shape Sorting CubeMelissa & Doug Magnetic Wooden Fishing Game and Puzzle With Wooden Ocean Animal Magnets – Magnetic Fishing Game, Ocean Animals Chunky Puzzle For Toddlers And Kids Ages 3+Melissa & Doug Let’s Play House Dust! Sweep! Mop! 6 Piece Pretend Play Set – Toddler Toy Cleaning Set, Pretend Home Cleaning Play Set, Kids Broom And Mop Set For Ages 3+
Instructions
The materials are so simple! We have tons of pinecones in our backyard almost year-round, but I hear you can get them at the craft store if you’re not so lucky 😉 Tissue paper is great because it’s so light and colorful, and it seems like you can always reuse it, no matter how much you’ve crumpled it 😉
We have acquired a big drawer full of assorted birthday gifts and always have a bunch of colors on hand, but you could use other types of paper like newspaper or left-over wrapping paper instead.
I used a shoebox-sized sensory bin to hold all of the materials because N likes to empty containers (and fill them again), but it’s not necessary to use any kind of container.
I loosely crumpled some of the tissue paper and put it in the box with some of the pinecones. I wrapped a few pinecones in tissue paper just to add a different dimension to the sensory experience.
N reached for the visible pinecones first.
He explored them very thoroughly.
It didn’t take him long to discover that more pinecones were hidden inside sheets of tissue paper, and he carefully unwrapped them. He tried to rewrap them, but his fine motor skills aren’t there yet.
We played the passing-back-and-forth game with the pinecones for a while. I love how he’s holding my hand with his free hand in this photo 🙂
Clearly, N’s self-chosen main mission for this activity was freeing all of the pinecones from all of the tissue paper, though, and he didn’t rest until he’d collected all of the pinecones.
Once he had them all and had spent some more time playing with them and exploring them further, he added some more fine motor practice by picking up each little speck of dirt in the sensory bin individually 😉
Did your toddler enjoy this activity or a similar one? Here are a few more fun Sensory Activities you can try.
Also, if you are planning a road trip with your little one, check out these Road Trip Activities for Toddlers for a ton of ideas you can do to make your child busy and learning while you are travelling.