Toothpicks and Playdough

I have a little shaker container of colored toothpicks that Q has enjoyed this week. She likes to shake them out and then put them back in the little holes--Fabulous fine motor!

We also incorporated them into some playdough play....they can be birthday candles, flag poles, and even legs when some playdough is added to them! I often save new, interesting items (yup, to a two year old toothpicks are pretty interesting!) like this for that crazy hour from 5-6 pm when she is cranky, Daddy isn't home yet, I am trying to cook dinner, and I just need to keep her entertained. I have a few random things on top of the fridge that I only let her use during this time.

Sidenote....my little angel did throw the entire container of toothpicks across the kitchen floor at the end of her play time. In case you want the real story. :) And yep, there are like 200 toothpicks in there. We are still finding toothpicks in that kitchen.

Skills: pretend play, fine motor, artistic expression, spatial awareness (working with building materials), sensory exploration

Extensions: These little toothpick containers (with 8-10 toothpicks in it and the lid taped shut) would make a great shaker for a baby! Older infants/young toddlers can practice putting the toothpicks in the holes with supervision. Colored toothpicks can be sorted by color.