1. Pouring with a small funnel and a small bottle, 2. Pouring with a funnel and large bottle, 3. Transferring with a pipette (using colour mixing bottles), 4. Transferring ping pong balls with wire skimmer, 5. Pouring from pitcher to pitcher, 6. Transferring with pipette into ice tray, 7. Transferring sponge with mini metal tongs, 8. Transferring with large baster. 

It happens the same time every year. Christmas is over and our guests have left. The excitement and over- stimulation have finished and Otis is acting out-of-sorts. The boys have been spending lots of time on the water slide, at the swimming pool, running around. However something is telling me Otis needs to slow down.

He has been working here and there but I decided to totally change up his shelves and include some soothing water and transferring activities. Most of these are good old favourites and some are a new take on a previous activities. A smaller funnel and a very small bottle, smaller sponge pieces are good examples of making an old activity more challenging. Coloured water makes a difference as it always gets his attention.

All of these activities are fantastic for fine motor control, bilateral coordination, core strength and many require the child to cross the mid-line. Even carrying these activities from the shelf to the work table requires strength and skill.

Otis can do all of these activities (he doesn't need a demonstration) however they still very much attractive to him. They require him to slow down and concentrate. They are done repetitively. A very serious session of transferring brings him down a level, he achieves some calm and quiet. 

How do you know if the activity is appropriate/attractive to your child? See how often they go back to it. I love how after a couple of days Otis turns this transferring activity into colour mixing!