Fine motor2½–4 yrsAt home

Threading tower

Dry spaghetti standing up in dough, waiting to be loaded.

Prep

3 min

Mess

Low

How to play

Stand the spaghetti upright in the dough. His job is to thread the hoops down over it. Count them out loud as they land.

  1. a lump of dough beside dry spaghetti and cereal hoops
    1

    A lump of dough, dry spaghetti, and hoops.

  2. three strands of spaghetti standing in the dough
    2

    Stand the spaghetti upright in the dough.

  3. hoops threaded down a strand, one more on its way
    3

    Thread the hoops down over it. Count them out loud.

What you need

A lump of playdough, a few pieces of dry spaghetti, and cereal hoops or penne.

What it secretly builds

Fine motor

Lining up a small hole with a thin stick is early hand-eye precision — the same aiming his hands will need for buttons and zips.

Safety first
Stay close. Dry spaghetti is sharp if he runs with it, and hoops are a choking size.
See it in actionSpin again