How it Plays

Make a Baby Bank by cutting a slot in the plastic lid of an empty coffee can with an X-acto knife. Line the edges of the slot with masking tape or packing tape, if you like. The slot should be wide enough to accommodate the lid of a frozen-juice can, inserted sideways. Hand the coffee can to your baby, along with several juice-can-lid "coins," and let her practice filling up her bank without the lid on. Once she understands the concept of filling the can, attach the lid and show her how to fit the coins into the slot, one at a time. Count aloud slowly as you drop them in. The coins will make such a satisfying clinking sound as they hit the bottom of the can that your baby will want to take off the lid, dump them out, and fill up her bank all over again.

What You'll Need

Learning and Growing

As she fits each "coin" into the slot of her bank, your child is developing eye-hand coordination and manual dexterity. She's also enhancing her problem-solving skills as she discovers how to position each coin to fit in the slot.