Toddler activity: threading toilet paper rolls

Age range: 21 months to I'll let you know when Boo loses interest
Setup difficulty: Very easy. Under 5 minutes.
Equipment needed: A pair of scissors, used toilet rolls or paper towel rolls, string or ribbon and, optionally, a box

Setup

Sit down with the pile of rolls that you have been oh so patiently accumulating for weeks. Cut them (holding your scissors parallel to the opening of the roll) to create 'beads' that can be threaded. I cut mine into 'beads' of various sizes. So in some cases I cut a single roll into 4-5 'beads', sometimes I just cut the roll in half and some rolls I did not cut at all. The idea is that when you first try out this activity and your toddler is still mastering this new skill the narrower beads are easier to thread and give them a sense of accomplishment. As their level of skill improves they can work with full toilet rolls, and eventually, you can cut straws and have them thread those.

If you, unlike me, are ambitious and/or talented you could choose to decorate your rolls - paint them, stick stuff on them, cover them in pretty paper, go to town. I left my beads unadorned.

Tie one of your 'beads' to the end of your thread/ribbon to serve as a knot, so that when your toddler starts threading the beads don't fall off the other end of the thread.

Dump all your newly minted 'beads' into a box, if you have one handy.

Play!

Present the box to your toddler with much fanfare. "Come! Play! This is the best thing since sliced bread!" Boo examined the box for a minute, then, as is usual, dumped the contents out. She started out by examining the 'beads'.

Here she is busily threading.

She ended up running around the house trailing a bunch of rolls behind her. The dog found this vastly amusing and a good time was had by all.