This lacing activity is great for strengthening fine motor skills and hand eye coordination. A super easy to make DIY toy! All you need are a few simple supplies to create this too! 

A Budget Friendly Lacing Activity

This lacing activity is the perfect example of making something yourself instead of spending money on buying a toy! Of course, there are very similar products for sale that could definitely be purchased if your kiddo absolutely loves this lacing activity.

But making one out of cardboard and using very few supplies is a great way to test the toy out before making a bigger investment!

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The Lacing Activity in Action 

Here’s a snippet of my kiddo, 4 years old at the time, playing with this lacing activity. 

He got such a kick out of seeing the “worm” go in and out of the apple that it just brings a whole new element of imagination and fun. 

It’s a great way to have them excited about an activity that is working on their hand-eye coordination at the same time.

Tips for Creating this DIY Lacing Activity

Have fun with this activity! The kids can be a part of the process from start to finish! Let them draw the apple on cardboard, then cut it out! Great for scissor skills and confidence as well. 

Use cardboard! If you get a lot of packages (like me!), it is a free crafting resource that has a super strong and durable texture!

Use tempera paint sticks! For coloring the apple and worm, we used tempera paint sticks. They come out super vibrant on cardboard which is not always the case with paint!

If you don’t have an extra long hole punch, use a sharp knife to create the holes!

• Scissors
• Hole punch

• Cardboard 
• Yarn or Twine
• Tempera Paint Sticks
• Scissors
• Hole punch

Step 3

Tie a piece of twine or yarn to the apple with the worm attached to the other end.

Step 4

Have the kids take the yarn and go through all the holes.

Step 1

Cut out an apple and worm shape on the cardboard. Involve the kids if you’d like and have them color.

Step 2

Use a hole punch and cut out the holes. You don’t have to do very many, but I would say 8-10 are great. Make sure to put them all over. 

Step 3

Tie a piece of twine or yarn to the apple with the worm attached to the other end.

Step 4

Have the kids take the yarn and go through all the holes. 

isThe Benefits of Lacing and Threading

Threading yarn through holes is a fun way to have kids concentrate and work their finger muscles. Lots of control and hand-eye coordination is required to get that yarn in the hole, but with a little patience, they can do it! 

Another everyday item to strengthen fine motor skills are using clothespins/pegs! This dinosaur-themed activity, is a free printable you should definitely check out! Kids use pegs to give dinosaurs their “spikes” back!

For more fine motor skills activities, be sure to check out our comprehensive list!

This magnetic slime recipe is the coolest! It is the best excuse to play with slime while learning about what scientific magnetic forces are! The way the slime seemingly “swallows up” the magnet is creepy and cool at the same time – like a black blob coming to life! Keep on reading to learn how easy it is to make!

Where Science Meets Slime

Science and slime go hand and hand. Even when you make a standard slime recipe, there is so much scientific learning going on! Kids can gather a set of ingredients and see how they react with each other to activate a slimy matter you can play with.

This magnetic slime recipe takes it to the next level by adding iron into the mix so that it can interact with a powerful magnet. This will have the kids dive in and be curious to learn more about the science behind magnetic forces.

Watch How to Make This Magnetic Slime Recipe

Making magnetic slime is so easy! It takes all of a few minutes to mix together, but will result in a tremendous amount of engaged playful learning. Trust me, you’ll be hearing lots of giggles as the black blob-like slime “eats up” the magnet over and over again.

It is so much fun to experiment with how the slime and the magnet interact – hold the magnet from above to see the slime climb up, or hold it to the side to see the slime slither towards it! 

Tips on Safely Making This Magnetic Slime Recipe

Black Iron Oxide. This iron powder is what makes the slime magnetic. You’ll want to make sure the grown ups are the only ones who handle the mixing of the powder into the slime to avoid any accidental inhalation or spilling of the bag, because that will result in a big mess! 

Neodymium Magnet. A normal magnet will not be strong enough for this experiment. Instead, you’ll have to get a Neodymium Magnet. Keep in mind that since these magnets are very strong they can be dangerous if there are other strong magnets around your activity space. Be sure to test the environment before conducting the experiment with the kids. Wear gloves and eyewear if there is any uncertainty. What you want to avoid is the magnet attaching to another strong magnet with such force that it shatters.  This can easily happen if you have 2 Neodymium Magnets next to each other.

This activity must be supervised, and the slime is not safe for consumption. Magnets should never be put in the mouth. Wash hands thoroughly after engaging with any kind of slime activity. All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

• 1/2 cup Liquid Starch
• A Neodymium Magnet

• 1/2 cup White Glue
• 1/2 cup Water
• 1/2 cup Black Iron Oxide Powder
• 1/2 cup Liquid Starch
• A Neodymium Magnet

Step 3

Add liquid starch.

Step 4

Stir until combined. Now the magnetic slime recipe is ready for experimentation, so grab your ultra-powerful magnet and enjoy!

Step 1

Combine glue with water.

Step 2

Add iron oxide powder (to be done by Adults Only!)

Step 3

Add liquid starch.

Step 4

Stir until combined. Now this magnetic slime recipe is ready for experimentation, so grab your ultra-powerful magnet and enjoy!

For more fun science experiments, check out our comprehensive list!

The Science Behind Magnetic Slime Recipe

It goes without saying that this magnetic slime recipe is such a fun way to learn about magnets and magnetic forces! First off, it’s important to know that magnets are all around us – from simply holding up pictures on your refrigerator, to helping cabinets firmly shut, and they are also inside complex devices like phone and computers.

Magnets produce a magnetic field, which is a force that attracts other materials that contain iron. Adding iron to slime allows the slime to become magnetized when you hold it close to a strong neodymium magnet.  

For more fun science experiments, check out our comprehensive list!

Hydrophobic sand, also known as Magic Sand, is sand that doesn’t get wet! The kids are going to be obsessed with this Magic Sand! It’s literally sand that just doesn’t get wet! Just when you thought that it sand couldn’t get any better, along comes this simple sensory activity that is going to have the kids thinking that you have a bunch of magic tricks hiding up your sleeves!  Keep on reading to find out how to make this fun science-based activity for kids! 

What is Hydrophobic Sand?

If something is hydrophobic it means it repeals water and cannot be mixed with it. For example, oil is hydrophobic and so are some leaves.  Sand is not normally hydrophobic.  Rather, when it comes in contact with water, dry sand will become wet and moldable – after all, that’s the beauty of building sand castles! This recipe adds a water-repellant to the sand making it hydrophobic so that when it is immersed in water you can take it out and it will still be perfectly dry, like magic!

Watch How to Make Hydrophobic Sand

The kids just might not believe you right away when you tell them that this sand is water-resistant. How in the world can there be sand that doesn’t absorb water and instantly become a sticky and messy mess?

Making Magic Sand is super easy, it just requires 2 supplies, including the sand. Since it involves using a lot of water-proof spray I recommend that the grown ups are the ones who make this and the kids can enjoy the magic once it’s done!

Setting Up a Hydrophobic Sand Activity

This activity is so adaptable! I included Sponge Bob Squarepants figurines in our set up, but feel free to switch that up, or simply focus on the hydrophobic sand by itself.

This is a great opportunity to showcase the science of a something being hydrophobic. You could have one cup of Magic Sand and one cup that has not been made into Magic Sand and have your kiddo compare the results of when each sand comes in contact with water. 

I used pre-colored sand for this to save some time, but you don’t even need any color at all to enjoy the magic of hydrophobic sand. However, whether you used colored sand or not, make sure you use a sand that is coarse. The finer the sand, the hard it will to be to apply the water-proof spray.

All activities should be supervised by an adult. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. This post may contain affiliate links.

• Aluminum foil
• Tape (optional)

• Sand (the coarser the better!)
• Water-proof spray
• Baking pan
• Aluminum foil
• Tape (optional)

Step 3

Let the sand dry for about 10-15 minutes.

For best results, repeat steps 2 and 3 at least a few times. We did it three times.

Allow the sand to dry. Since our layer was on the thicker side, we let it dry overnight.

Step 1

On a baking pan lined with aluminum foil, spread out a thin layer of sand. If you are making multiple colors, you may want to separate them with a taped foil partition as pictured in the video! That way, the colors are less likely to mix (and you save yourself multiple pans to clean!)

Step 2

Spray the sand with water-proof spray (to be performed by an adult!)

Step 3

Let the sand dry for about 10-15 minutes. For best results, repeat steps 2 and 3 at least a few times. We did it three times.

Allow the sand to dry. Since our layer was on the thicker side, we let it dry overnight.

Tips for Making Hydrophobic Sand

Sand Type. Make sure it is not too fine. The goal when applying the water-resistant spray is to cover the grain of sand entirely. So the coarser the sand, the easier it will be to cover without having to apply the spray a million times!

Thin Layer. Keep the layer of sand you are spraying thin. The deeper the batch you are working with, the longer it will take for the spray to dry to make the sand hydrophobic!

For more sensory play or science-based activities visit our comprehensive lists!