Toddler activities with a colander
6 activities in the library use a colander, for toddlers aged 12 to 36 months: 2 starting 12–17 months, 2 starting 18–23 months and 2 starting from 24 months. A plastic colander with holes rains water in the bath, cages a ball for peekaboo and takes pipe cleaners or straws poked through its holes.
Updated
Colander: 6 activities to try
Safety: Use a plastic colander; metal ones can have sharp edges around the holes.
6 activities
- Colander Cage Peekaboo 12–17 months · 3–6 min · Indoors · Calm A toy sits under an upturned colander where your child can still see it through the holes; lifting the colander to free it builds object search and simple problem-solving.
- Colander Rain Shower 15–24 months · 5–10 min · Indoors or out · Calm In the bath or at an outdoor basin, your child pours water into a colander and watches it rain out, practising tipping, grip and cause and effect.
- Colander Straw Poke 18–28 months · 5–10 min · Indoors · Calm Your child pushes whole drinking straws through the holes of an upside-down colander, practising a precise aim, a pinch grip and two hands working together.
- Colander Rain Pour 20–30 months · 8–15 min · Outdoors · Calm Outdoors, your child pours water into a colander and into a cup and watches one make rain while the other holds it, a hands-on cause-and-effect test.
- Potato Scrub at the Basin 24–34 months · 10–15 min · Indoors or out · Calm Your child scrubs potatoes or carrots in a basin of water with a sponge, then drops them into a colander, doing a real dinner job.
- Spoon, Sponge or Colander? 28–36 months · 8–15 min · Outdoors · Calm Your child tries to move water into a muffin tin with a spoon, a sponge and a colander, and discovers which tools carry water and which do not.
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Colander at a glance
| Activities | 6, 2 on the low-prep menu |
|---|---|
| Ages covered (corrected) | 12–36 months |
| Focus time | 3–15 minutes |
| Main domains | 3 cognitive, 2 fine motor and 1 practical life |
| Where they happen | 2 indoors, 2 indoors or outdoors and 2 outdoors |
| Quickest start | Colander Cage Peekaboo, 3–6 minutes |
Every activity with a colander
Sorted by the first month each one fits (corrected age for children born early). Quick picks: for a calm moment, Colander Cage Peekaboo; with no prep at all, Colander Straw Poke.
| Activity | Ages | Minutes | Domain | Prep |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Colander Cage Peekaboo | 12–17 months | 3–6 | Cognitive | None |
| Colander Rain Shower | 15–24 months | 5–10 | Fine motor | 2 min |
| Colander Straw Poke | 18–28 months | 5–10 | Fine motor | None |
| Colander Rain Pour | 20–30 months | 8–15 | Cognitive | 5 min |
| Potato Scrub at the Basin | 24–34 months | 10–15 | Practical life | 5 min |
| Spoon, Sponge or Colander? | 28–36 months | 8–15 | Cognitive | 5 min |
How each activity uses a colander
- Colander Cage Peekaboo (finding hidden objects, 3–6 minutes): Let your child watch you set a soft ball on the floor and cover it with an upturned colander.
- Colander Rain Shower (pouring, 5–10 minutes): Hold the colander over the water and pour one cupful through it: "Rain!"
- Colander Straw Poke (posting objects, 5–10 minutes): Turn the colander upside down on the table and seat your child in front of it.
- Colander Rain Pour (cause and effect, 8–15 minutes): Fill the cup and pour it into the colander held over the bucket: 'Rain!'.
- Potato Scrub at the Basin (household helping, 10–15 minutes): Put the basin on a towel on the floor or a low table, with the colander beside it.
- Spoon, Sponge or Colander? (using objects the right way, 8–15 minutes): Lay out a spoon, a sponge and a colander and say 'Let's fill the cups!'.
By age
12–17 months: 2 activities, 3–10 minutes. 18–23 months: 2 activities, 5–15 minutes. From 24 months: 2 activities, 8–15 minutes.
Starting 12–17 months
Starting 18–23 months
Starting from 24 months
Words that come up
Across these activities you will model “where's the ball?”, “under”, “up”, “there it is!”, “pour”, “rain”, “full”, “empty”, “poke”, “in”, “out” and “hole”. Say one at the moment it happens, then pause for your child's turn.
Safety with a colander
- Use a plastic colander; metal ones can have sharp edges around the holes.
- Check the holes are too small to trap a finger.
Prep tips
- Use it in the bath or at a water basin to make rain.
- Turn it upside down over a toy for a see-through hiding game.
No colander? Use instead
- A sieve with large holes.
- A plastic basket with holes.
- A yogurt pot with holes poked in the bottom.
Combine it with
A colander is most often paired with water basin (4 activities), measuring cups (2 activities) and sponges (2 activities). The skills practised most: pouring (3), problem solving (3) and cause and effect (2).
Often combined with
Skills practised
Frequently asked questions
What can a toddler do with a colander?
6 activities here use it, for example Colander Cage Peekaboo (12–17 months), Colander Rain Shower (15–24 months) and Colander Straw Poke (18–28 months). 2 are on the low-prep menu: no prep and 10 minutes or less.
Is a colander safe for toddlers?
Use it only with an adult close by. Use a plastic colander; metal ones can have sharp edges around the holes. Check the holes are too small to trap a finger.
What can I use instead of a colander?
A sieve with large holes, a plastic basket with holes or a yogurt pot with holes poked in the bottom can stand in for most of these activities.
What ages are activities with a colander for?
They cover 12–36 months of corrected age: 2 starting 12–17 months, 2 starting 18–23 months and 2 starting from 24 months.
Related
Monitoring, not medical advice. Talk to your pediatrician about any concern. Our sources and method.