Building dexterity, muscles and hand strength in little ones is important. Pointing at objects, incy wincy spider and other nursery rhyme movements are ways of building that strength on a daily basis.

Adding some elastic bands to some toy figures can be a great fine motor activity for little hands. They will need to work hard to rescue the figures by pulling off the elastic bands, strengthening those hand muscles and supporting improvement in their dexterity.

A great fine motor actvity to keep little hands busy.

Threading pipe cleaners or ribbon through the holes of a colander and handing to little ones to unthread and pull them out. It teaches patience and logical thinking as they work out how to unthread or pull out each piece in turn.

A wonderfully simple acticity to work those little hand muscles. Taping the colander down with strong tape can help them too.

This is a really fun one! It is important to remember with this one that all children are different and develop at their own pace.

Somewhere between 15-24 months babies take a huge leap in self recognition and consequently start to build more empathy and awareness of those around them.

If you pop a little something safe and red on their nose and then hand them a mirror it is really interesting to see how they respond. Those that are making the leap will notice the red mark in the mirror and try and remove it from their own nose.

Those that are not yet making that leap will not recognise that the red dot they see in the mirror is on their own nose. Always supervise.

Why not allow little ones to explore a colour by adding lots of items of one colour to a hulla hoop using some ribbon.

They can rotate around the inside of the hoop exploring the different items you have added.

This is great for tummy time or babies able to sit. Always supervise.

This is a wonderful set up to encourage tummy time or develop that core strength for those that can sit.

Why not allow little ones to explore a colour by adding lots of items of one colour to a hulla hoop using some ribbon.

They can rotate around the inside of the hoop exploring the different items you have added.

Always supervise.

An amazon box and some fairy lights is all you need.

Make small holes in the roof of the box and weave the lights through each hole.

Weaving the lights will mean there is no wire that children are able to pull once inside the box.

A really great colour sensory experience.

Always supervise.

Lovely little set up for toddlers. Stickers stuck to the bottom of the tray, add some dyed salt, give them a paintbrush and let them uncover the hidden stickers whilst talking to them about what they uncover. Great for language development, hand strength, hand dominance, mark making, sensory development, encourages use of bilateral coordination and crossing of the midline.

To dye the salt, simply pour some table salt in a sandwich bag, add a couple of drops of food colouring. Seal the bag shut and move the salt around until all is covered in food dye. Pour out onto a tray to dry.

This is a mess free paint colour mixing activity. Just add two different colour paints to sandwich bags. Make sure you use a strong tape to seal and tape them to a surface. Then as your little one plays with them with their hands and feet, the colours will start to mix together. This is a lovely mess free way to allow children to explore colour in a very sensory way. 

Top tip: if there are markings on your sandwich bag then use some nail varnish remover and some cotton wool to rub them away before prepping the activity so the colours are really clear.

Using a clothes roller and a tub of pom poms is so much fun! They can roll over the pom poms collecting lots as they go. Then they can work at pulling them off and trying again! Always supervise.

A really refreshing sensory play for little ones.

Add some slices of lemon, orange, grapefruit to a bowl with some water. Then let little ones explore the slices!

Always supervise.

Increase the fun and difficulty of a simple puzzle by taping the pieces needed for the puzzle with craft tape.

Add the pieces to a tray and add craft tape over the top. Allow children to use hands, or tweezers to rescue the pieces through the gaps in the tape.

It not only increases the time children will interact with the activity as it becomes a two part activity but also strengthens their hand muscles.

Always supervise.

Add a rainbow-coloured piece of paper (easily printed or coloured in) to the bottom of a shallow tray and secure with tape.

Add a thin layer or salt over the top. Then as children use their fingers to create marks in the tray the rainbow colours underneath are revealed.

Mark making is not only a prerequisite to writing, it is also an important physical and sensory experience for little ones.

Initially, young children take pleasure in the physical experience of mark making and this later develops into them realising they can control the marks created.

Always supervise.

Mark making from an early age gives little ones the foundations that will later help them with early literacy skills. Babies and toddlers can begin to make sense of the world through mark making and supports creativity, coordination and the fundamentals of hand writing.

Children love to make marks with paint, mud, flour etc. So creating your own mark making rools for them can be really fun. Just add some different materials to clothes pegs and let them explore different textures, shapes and patterns they can create. 

What a wonderful activity for even the youngest of children to enjoy! Babies can lay on a mat under the washing line and older children can sit or stand to enjoy

Just tie some items to the washing line and watch them enjoy the giant mobile! You could use ribbon, old CDs, toys and utensils so the items blow in the wind, catch the sunlight and make a noise. A truly wonderful summers day set up to enjoy together.

This sensory activity can support tracking and eye focus and for older babies it can encourage reaching and standing.

Allowing babies and young children to enjoy painting and explore with the textures and patterns they can create is wonderful. Taste safe paint is an important way to allow this creative activity to take place.

Adding food colouring to Greek yoghurt and then allowing little ones to paint with their fingers or a brush is a safe way for younger children to enjoy painting.

This activity is suitable for babies 6 months+. Always supervise.

Creating taste safe sensory play for babies is really easy with aqaua faba!

Use the liquid you would normally drain away from chic peas and whisk it up! It makes for a really foamy safe sensory play that you can then add cups and spoons etc to.

Always supervise.

An art activity for babies and toddlers.

This one looks beautiful when the sun shines through the window. You just need to cut or tear some tissue paper and then little ones can use a paint brush and some water to wet the window and then stick the pieces to the window.

They can stick it on and pull it off again.

Always supervise.

Adding pom poms or ribbon to a whisk provides opportunities for young children to work on their fine motor skills and concentration skills as they work to release what is inside.

Always supervise.