Setup

1. Take your box and choose which side of the box will have the holes in it. I choose to use the opposite side to the open side so that the bottom of the box could be used as an exit for the balls to be retrieved.
2. Using one of your balls as a guide, trace around the outside of the ball on the chosen side of your box. Do this as many times as you would like, preferably making enough holes for the different coloured balls you intend to give your child.
3. Using a Stanley knife carefully cut out the ball holes on the box.
4. Using your coloured markers, colour around each hole. Use the same colours as the balls you will provide. In our case we had blue, green, yellow and pink so we reflected this around our holes.
5. Close the bottom of the box so the balls can’t escape and place the box upright so that you can see the coloured holes.
6. Put your balls in a basket of some sort and place next to the box.
7. Now watch your toddler naturally collect balls and post them through the holes!

Teaching strategies

• Let your child have fun posting the balls however they like. For younger children you may need to demonstrate the concept.
• Once they have explored the concept of posting, introduce the colour reignition side of things. “Where’s the blue ball? Can you post it in the blue hole?
• Introduce numbers- counting as they drop a ball in each hole.
• Don’t forget to celebrate and acknowledge your little one’s efforts! Toddlers love to share in delight with their big person!
• Have fun, and perhaps enjoy a moment to yourself as your little one plays alongside you.