Water Bead Funnel Fun

Dear Reader,

I can’t believe spring is already here! I mean, I’m not complaining – I’m not a big fan of winter – but I am not ready for the busyness that comes with spring when you’re an avid gardener. I haven’t finished all of my winter projects yet! Plus, my preschooler has decided that spring means extra busyness, too! She has been wanting to do *all the things.* Which doesn’t exactly match with my need to get things done. So I needed to come up with something for her to do that was fun and exciting but didn’t involve me. I grabbed some water beads and a funnel and the pans we use for sand dough.

We filled an old juice bottle with water and watched the beads grow throughout the day, and then I poured a few in her tray and handed her the funnel.

Her OT and I have been talking a lot about retained palmar grasp reflex, and I can see it. Especially when we do fine-motor tasks like playing with small, slippery things. I Don’t know if tasks like this will really solve anything, but they definitely take concentration and focus, so I feel like they’re good for that aspect. And aiming for the funnel (especially the small end) takes hand-eye coordination. Just make sure you have a funnel with a big enough hole. This funnel was the only one that fit that bill besides our canning funnels, so I handed those to the toddlers (and watched them much closer) while I worked across from them and transplanted lavender.