Fiddly fingers – a quick homemade travel toy can help your toddler master this skill

What you need 

• An embroidery hoop (you might find you can borrow or buy one second hand) 
• An old item of clothing which has several buttons 

What to do 

• Stretch the item of clothing over the embroidery hoop and clamp it shut. Make sure the buttons are facing up inside the hoop, and can be opened and closed.  
• Cut off the excess material round the outside of the hoop. 
• Show your toddler how they can try opening, and fastening, the buttons. The tension in the embroidery hoop makes this a little easier to practise.  
• Let them take their time trying out this new way to play. 

Good to know 

This makes a great travel toy for your toddler to play with when you are out and about, or waiting for something. Make sure the buttons are securely fastened and have no way of being pulled off the fabric by your toddler’s exploring hands. 

You can use clothes with other types of fastenings, such as poppers or zips, perhaps swapping them around if your toddler loses interest in one way of fastening. 

Always supervise your toddler when using this, as the buttons or fastenings could become hazards if they detach from the clothing.