Make a posting box

You will need:

A box (such as a shoe box), scissors, tape, household objects such as 2 socks, spoons, toy cars…

What to do: Cut a hole in the lid of the shoe box or the top and side of a bigger box. (The ‘open’ side of the box can go on the floor.) Tape around any edges that seem a bit sharp. Make the holes big enough for your baby or toddler to see inside and to push objects through easily.

Hide and seek: Give your baby the objects to post into the box, then ask ‘Where have they gone?!’ Lift the box or lid to find them together. Your baby will have lots of fun posting them all over again! Counting: If you have two of the same object you could count ‘one sock, two socks!’. Toddlers might like finding the matching item.

Colours and sizes: Try describing the objects as your child posts them: ‘pink sock, red sock!’ or ‘big car, small car!’

Making a posting box helps babies have fun and:

• Learn to co-ordinate their movements – grasping, carrying, dropping…

• Gain confidence and satisfaction from posting again and again

• Start to understand that number ‘one’ means one object

• Continue learning what words mean, as they play.