Objective

By the end of this lesson, your 1-year-old will have fun exploring the concept of opening and closing lids, developing fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

Materials and Prep

Materials needed: Various containers with lids (jars, boxes, bottles), preferably with different sizes and shapes.

Prep: Ensure all containers are clean and safe for the child to play with.

Activities

• Container Match-Up: Show the child how to open and close a lid on one container, then encourage them to find the matching lid for another container.
• Hide and Seek: Hide a small toy or object under a lid and let the child discover it by opening the lid.
• Stacking Towers: Let the child stack containers with lids, practicing opening and closing each one as they build a tower.

Talking Points

• "Look, can you open the lid? Let's see what's inside!"
• "Close the lid, good job! Now open it again."
• "Which lid fits this container? Let's try them all!"
• "Can you find the toy under the lid? Peekaboo!"
• "Let's make a tower with the containers. Open, close, open, close!"