What is inside that cup? Using cups to practise holding and tipping

What you need 

• Stacking cups, or something similar 
• Cotton wool balls, finger puppets, or pom poms 

What to do 

1. Separate the cups and stand them upright.  
2. Pop something small and soft inside each one. 
3. Excitedly say to your toddler, “What’s in there?”  
4. Pick up a cup with one hand, lift it in the air and then tip it over.  
5. When the soft item falls out, act surprised and say, “What happened then?” Your toddler might find this hilarious.  
6. If they do, repeat it a few times before passing a cup to your toddler and saying, “There is something in there too, what could it be?”  
7. Notice whether your toddler copies your lifting action and pours out the soft item.  
8. If they try to reach inside the cup to grab the soft item, show them again how you poured an item out. 

Good to know 

Your toddler may start to copy this kind of play later on rather than right away. Their brains are forming multiple connections about all aspects of life, so some things will need to be repeated many times before they imitate them.