Cap twist-off board

This activity is a fun way for your child to practice their fine motor skills, and also reuses disposable baby food pouches. Twisting caps to loosen and tighten them takes concentration and coordination, and can be done (and redone and redone) over and over again.

HERE’S HOW TO MAKE A CAP TWIST-OFF BOARD:

• Collect and thoroughly wash out food pouches until you have enough for this activity—4 should be plenty to start, and 6-10 makes it even more fun. Even if you only have one lying around right now, it’s enough! If you don’t have any pouch lids, look for others that could be affixed to a board: plastic bottle tops, small jars that can be glued down, etc.
• Cut the tops off, leaving some of the plastic around them; get a flat piece of cardboard and cut a few holes, then poke the extra plastic from the pouch tops through and affix it to the underside with sturdy glue or tape. The sturdier you can connect them the better, as your child may test the structural integrity of your twist-off board!
• Play around with the spacing and the organization of the tops; you can arrange them in a grid, circle, line, or any other pattern.
• Show your child how to screw and unscrew the tops. Children vary immensely in their ability to twist, screw, and unscrew, so don’t be surprised if this part is a challenge. If they get the cap all the way off, sticking it back on to screw in again may take a little assistance on your part.
• For a different approach, tape the cardboard to the underside of a table or chair—twisting and untwisting something above their heads adds a new layer of challenging fun, and the caps come clattering to the ground when they twist all the way off. You can also make the board vertical by leaning it against (or taping it to) a wall.