I was trying to get some bars in the oven to bake, and the boys were not getting along for the life of them the other day and I needed to separate them.
To keep George in the kitchen with me, but also to allow me to accomplish something, I simply handed him my set of measuring cups and a pot with a lid.
It worked. A simple busy play set up perfect for a toddler.
He loved the measuring cups. Fitting them together and taking them apart many times.
He also mimicked me. Pretending to scoop and dump into the pot.
Also putting all the cups into the pot and closing the lid was great entertainment!
Mission accomplished. Bars in the oven. No more fighting between the boys. Back to playing.
What would your kids do with a set of measuring cups?
Just pots and pans are a great distraction for kids too! George gets into that cupboard quite frequently!
WANT TO SAVE THIS ACTIVITY?
Enter your email below & we'll send it straight to your inbox so you can access this activity later! Plus, you'll get simple activities from us every week!
Jennifer says
My 20-month old son loves to pour water back and forth into measuring cups and containers. In the bath he uses a large plastic measuring cup and a couple small plastic food containers and will do this for as long as you’ll let him. When not in the bath, he uses containers and cups to play with pom poms.
tricia says
We do this, too- On vacation, a pack of marbles, a small set of legos and red solo cups kept the kids happy for weeks! A few pieces of tupperware and it was heaven. :)
Anna says
We love kitchen utensils here too. Especially all the noises they make!
Vicky says
I love the simplicity of this. Kids don’t need lots of fancy, modern toys to be happy and learn. Vicky from http://www.messforless.net
cathie says
Love the simple items we can find in the kitchen for learning play.
Thanks for the post. Come visit me at toddlersthroughpreschool anytime and leave some feedback!
Cathie J
Jessica @ Loving My Nest says
I often give my youngest (11 months) a pan and a spoon, the wire whisk – really anything is fine for him. People spend a ridiculous amount of money on fancy toys when the most entertaining thing is sometimes a spatula and a small cutting board!
Dee Dee says
Hi Jamie!
My little one Lucy has an entire cabinet devoted to her for play. I have measuring cups and stackable bowls in there for her to sort, stack, and play with. She can easily spend 20 minutes in there playing while I’m prepping dinner :)
Love your ideas!
Dee Dee
Margaret says
My 24-month-old likes measuring cups, too. Nesting them, spreading them out, etc. He almost always gets them out when he is working with a bowl of dry lima beans (or popcorn kernels), too. Sometimes I will fill a pan of water and put it in the kitchen sink with the measuring cups…pull up a stool for him…and it is nearly endless entertainment.