Make a baby piggy bank by cutting a slot in the plastic lid of an empty ice cream carton using a sharp knife.
You can line the edges of the slot with masking tape or packing tape. The slot should be wide enough to accommodate the lids off small jars - the coins - inserted sideways.
Give the ice cream carton to your baby, along with several jar lid coins. Let them practice filling the piggy bank without the lid on. Once they understand the idea, put the lid on and show them 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 clunk as they hit the bottom of the carton that your child will want to take the lid off, tip them out and fill up the piggy bank all over again.
Fitting each fake coin into the slot of the piggy bank helps develop hand-eye co-ordination and manual dexterity. Your toddler is also developing problem-solving skills as they discover how to position each coin to slide through the slot.
