Scoop and drop transfer activities are one of the best play ideas I’ve discovered ever since I noticed my youngest developing an interest in transferring and transporting.
It started as early as 9 months (?) maybe. Lia was always so content to sit on the floor with a big basket of toys and time to take all the toys out…. and put them all back in.
As a toddler, she enjoys picking small objects that have spilled. She’ll pick up even the tiniest crumb off the floor when she sees me get out the broom and drop it into my dust pan.
During sensory bin activities, I notice her immediately grabbing a shovel or spoon and an empty bowl or cup and filling it up. Her concentration and persistence as she works to fill up her container makes me so proud.
This is a great example of the transporting play schema. You may remember me mentioning this briefly if you read my post on how to choose the right activity for your toddler.
I touched on 8 different schemas you can consider as you determine which activities are just right for your toddler.
OK, let’s move on and find out how to set up this scoop and drop floating balls activity.
How to Set Up the Scoop and Drop floating Balls ACtivity
For this activity, I simply put two empty plastic containers on a tray. The tray is to help contain spills and keep the containers together.
I added a little water to one container and dropped a few balls and food pouch lids in.
I also added a tiny sponge and a kid-sized scoop.
Like I said earlier, Lia loves scoop and drop activities. She came over right away, sat her butt down, and got to work.
What We’re Learning
Besides feeding her need to transfer objects from one container to another, this activity was a great exercise for fine motor skills.
Adding the water makes the little balls float, which is fun, and also great for sensory input. When she accidentally splashed the water on herself, she said, “Wet.” So vocab building is also a big plus in this activity.
Whether she realizes it or not, she’s learning about the properties of water. Some things float in water, water makes things wet, water takes the shape of its container, etc.
Your Turn to Try a Scoop and Drop Activity
I hope you give this activity a try. I know it looks really simple, but those are the kinds of activities that I enjoy creating and doing with my kids regularly because, well, it’s easy!
A simple play activity that keeps my kids learning and entertained is just as good as a complicated one.
I’m all about conserving my parental energy while letting the kids be free in their play.
How about you?
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