When I was preparing for Mila's first birthday party, I came across an Instagram shop selling lots of cute beads. I ordered a big bag of colored bow-shaped beads that I wanted to turn into bracelets to give away. I decided instead to make necklaces that we used as props for Mila's birthday photoshoot. We used a lot but we still had more left over. Mila loved playing with them so I decided to use the rest of the beads in another DIY project - a Multipurpose Rattle. We got great milage to this virtually free toy. With the beads inside the recycled bottle, Mila can go crazy shaking it and making (noise) lovely sounds. With strict supervision, we use the beads too to teach counting, and colors. Of you have other beads to use, it can also be used for learning about texture, shapes, and size. When we're ready to pack up, I have Mila put each bead back in the bottle. She leans how to put things back in place and practice her hand-eye coordination and fine motor skills. Our DIY Multipurpose Rattle is still a favorite toy since we made it 9 months ago.
Here's how we made our DIY Multipurpose Rattle:
Step 1: Prepare your materials - A recycled bottle and a pack of beads. Best to choose different types with different shapes, colors, and sizes.
Step 2: Make sure your bottle is clean. Check if little hands can easy hold on to it for a firm grip when shaking. We got a sexy bottle from Dr. Edward's which works really well.
Step 3: Open the bottle. You may also test and make sure little curious babies cannot open the bottle cap themselves.
Step 4: Count how many beads you have. Take note of it so you are sure nothing goes missing before and after play.
Step 5: Put the beads inside the bottle.
Step 6: Go crazy!
Again, I cannot stress this enough: PLAY WITH CAUTION. The beads are choking hazards. We're lucky Mila does not usually put things on her mouth but we still only play with strict supervision.
