A Toddler and Toothpicks

I'm not sure where I first heard of this activity.  I probably saw it on a blog years ago.  I'm sure it's probably all over Pinterest--along with sticking pipe cleaners in an upside down colander.  But anyway.  I decided to add it to our rotation.

I gave Olivia a bowl of colorful toothpicks (that I actually had from my teaching days), and a little cheese shaker.  I demonstrated once and she went to work.

She jabbed around on the lid a little bit with the first one, but then had it figured out.

Obviously this is to help with fine motor skills.  So far I don't think she has a problem with this, but it's always good to practice.

She would actually grab a few, hold them in her hand, and then one by one put them in the container.  She used both her right and left hand to put them in.  She wasn't better at it with one hand verses the other.

She would fill it up until it started to get a little cluttered.  Then she'd hand it to me and ask me to open it.  We'd dump them out and she'd start again.  We ended up doing this 3 times.  She spent between 10 and 15 minutes on it.

She's so serious when she's working on things.  So focused.

And then when it's all done... she cheers for herself and is all smiles! :)

 Note: I tried buying salt and pepper shakers from the dollar store.  The toothpicks wouldn't fit in the holes.  I couldn't find toothpick holders with holes in them, so this was my improvising.  I got the shaker at Target for under $3.