Welcome back to our final day of the series: 3 ways to learn! I must say, the week flew by while doing this series! And that is the first time since we started quarantine where we have had a week ‘fly by’ in our home. 

Perhaps I am on to something.

A quick recap, in case you are just joining us OR want to relive the fun:

On Monday we were learning in the kitchen sink,

on Tuesday we were learning with balloons,

Wednesday was learning with bouncy balls,

yesterday we were learning with yarn, and today – tupperware!

If you are loving this 3 Ways to Play and Learn series you are going to adore Play into Kindergarten Readiness! It includes your Day-by-Day preschool plan with a simple, play-based activity every day that covers all preschool core skills. AND you also get more 3 Ways to Play and Learn ideas!

Check out Play into Kindergarten Readiness right here!

Okay, now first things first, if I say ‘tupperware’ do you know what I mean? I am not sure if this is a world wide term. So I am also referring to today’s material choice as plastic containers. Anything that might have once held yogurt, or have had a sandwich packed in it. You know what I mean, right?

And since this, of course, is a one sided conversation I am second guessing myself over here. But I am going to assume I am being clear.

And just in case, a picture paints a thousand words so …

3 Ways to Learn with Plastic Containers

Now I really, really hope you have a tupperware container that looks like mine. If yours is all neat and tidy you are going to have to messy it up a bit for our first activity …

Lid Matching

Time to get a little organized! This activity is always a hit with those little ones in the 2.5 -4 year old range. Heck, my 7 year old still loves to be my special helper with this chore … um … learning activity.

Pull out all those plastic containers and lids and let your little ones get to matching. This one couldn’t really get much easier, but it is full of learning. 

Little hands will be getting strengthened as they snap on those lids, visual spatial skills will be strengthened as lids are twisted and turned to fit on containers, and vocabulary will grow as we chat about some lids being to wide, or too thick, or too thin, oval, circular, square, rectangular, and so on.

Plus, your tupperware cabinet will get a beautiful makeover too!

Make the Highest Tower and Shortest Tower

Now that those plastic containers are all matched up, and the alarming number of containers with no matching lids have been discovered (seriously … how?!) it is time to make a tower!

These plastic containers make great blocks. They are next t o impossible to break, nice and light, and comparatively quiet as well. 

Challenge your little one to make the biggest tower he can. Count those blocks. Maybe you can even measure it. Is it taller than Mama?

And if you have a very little one along with some bigger children YOU have your very own learning challenge – how to keep that little one from knocking down the tall tower. Here was my feeble (short lived) attempt:

Then challenge your little one to make the smallest tower he can. This will require more hand strengthening as lids are removed and containers are nestled inside each other to make a small nesting tower.

There is wonderful math learning throughout this activity: counting, comparing numbers, measurement, and problem solving are only the tip of the iceberg here.

Sort Big to Small

How about a great tupperware parade! Have your little ones line up the plastic containers from biggest to smallest.

He will be making great comparisons as he does this.

How else can the containers be sorted? Maybe by shape or by colour.

I bet you this learning activity will end up taking a nice long while. Children love to play with plastic containers. The creative and imaginative play will unfold all on it’s own.

There you have it my friends. Today is a wrap, and so is our 3 ways to learn series. I hope you enjoyed it and found a few fun learning activities to pop up your sleeve for a rainy day.

I just love simple, no prep learning activities myself. Hands on play with no set up is always a win in my books.

Thank you so much for joining me. I hope you are doing well and staying safe. I will be back on Monday with more fun for you and your little ones. See you then!

xo

Sarah