Materials
9”x 13” cake pan
7 rubber bands, long and stretchy enough to go around the pan
6 or 7 household items for your baby to retrieve from the pan (i.e., a small block, a baby spoon, a small rattle, a ball, etc.)
Directions
Stretch the rubber bands evenly around the cake pan—3 lengthwise and 4 width-wise. Place your items in the pan under the rubber bands. Choose items that are large enough not to be choke hazards. (Even so, you’ll want to supervise your baby as he approaches this activity.) Set the pan in front of your baby. He’ll start trying to grab items from the pan, but will have to work at getting around the rubber bands. When we tried this with Baby R, he put his hand through the rubber band openings, but couldn’t figure out how to pull an item out at first. He pulled on the rubber bands, then let go, discovering the band made a sound when he let go. R tried to grab for items, but would get a finger hooked on the rubber bands. He pulled on the rubber bands hard enough to even turn the pan upside down, dislodging a couple of the items!
This activity provided just enough challenge to hold R’s interest for quite a while without frustrating him. It’s a fun way to practice hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills, too.