What is a “card slot drop?”

I always tell people the best activities are the ones that happen totally on the fly. This card slot drop that I made my 19-month-old is the perfect example.

I had just recycled an empty oats container when I saw her messing around with a deck of cards. A light bulb went off and this is the activity to show for it.

I created a life-changing taby activity, and no, that is not hyperbole.

RELATED: Looking for more activities for one year olds? Check out my list of the best of the best.

What is a taby?

I coined the term “taby” and use it interchangeably with one-year-old but let’s define this word.

A taby is my word for THE “not quite a toddler, definitely not a baby” stage that kids hit after their first birthday.

Tabies have all the hopes, dreams, and desires of toddlers… but don’t quite have the motor skills or planning to make their ideas come to life. Baby stuff is too young from them. Toddler stuff is too old.

“Taby” is a small window in childhood – where a child is walking, but not fluently talking. It’s a special time and I love honoring it with its own word. We can’t hold them back in babyhood, but we also don’t need to rush them into toddler life.

Materials

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Any container with a lid will work for this activity. You need a lid that can be cut into and opened/closed. Don’t over think this – use what you have.

The How-to

I carefully cut a hole in the top of the oats container – just wide enough for the cards to fit through.

Of course, I ripped it a little because things aren’t always perfect, but my taby didn’t mind. Next time we do this activity, I’ll make sure to add a little duct tape reinforcement.

RELATED: If you need gift ideas for tabies, I have the best list of toys for one year olds.

What did my 19 month old think?

My 19 month old daughter went nuts for this activity! All I did was dump out a set of playing cards and let her figure out how to slide them into the card slot. It’s been absolutely perfect for her!

It kept her busy for almost 15 minutes – which is basically a lifetime for a taby. I left it on our fire place and she went back and forth to it throughout the day.

It felt like a miracle.

What is a taby learning with card slot drop?

Even with as easy as this seems, there is a lot of learning and hard work at hand for tabies.

And while we don’t need to justify play with learning, it is fun to consider all that is being developed:

• Fine motor skills: this handwork is so good for tabies
• Hand eye coordination: figuring out how to twist and turn the cards to go in
• Concentration: learning to work independently on a project
• Cause and effect: understanding that pushing the card into the slot, drops it

Bonus – toddlers and preschoolers love this too

What I didn’t expect from this on-the-fly activity was the level of interest my 3 year old would have it in. He thinks it’s just as much fun as little sister does. He adds in an element of imaginary play (it’s apparently a mail box) which is fun to watch.

It’s always a bonus to find activities the kids can play together!

Susie Allison, M. Ed

Owner, Creator

Susie Allison is the creator of Busy Toddler and has more than 2.3 million followers on Instagram. A former teacher and early childhood education advocate, Susie’s parenting book “Busy Toddler’s Guide to Actual Parenting” is available on Amazon.