From: I saw a picture of some cut up sponges and a garlic press on  the really fantastic The Wonder Years blog and thought it looked like a great idea.

Materials:

• 1 sponges cut into 1″ cubes.
• 1 sponge for cleaning up water.  I cut a regular sponge in half so it would be easier for Sweet Pea to handle.
• A garlic press.
• 3 bowls.
• Water.

Procedure:

• Soak the sponge cubes in water and then put in 1 bowl.
• Arrange all 3 bowls and the garlic press on a tray.
• Sit next to your tot and show them the tray.
• Show them how to take 1 sponge cube out of the first bowl and load it into the garlic press.
• Demonstrate carefully holding the garlic press over the second bowl and squeezing the water out of it.
• Show them how to open the press and remove the now dry sponge.  Place the dry sponge into the 3rd bowl.
• Repeat the demonstration if needed and then let your tot try.
• If When your tot spills water on the tray, show him or her how to use the regular sponge to wipe it up.

Observations: Sweet Pea really liked playing with the sponges and water, although she never quite got the hang of how to squeeze the garlic press.

She definitely wasn’t able to control it enough to squeeze it over the second bowl of water.

She mostly loved playing with the big sponge.  She spent a lot of time wiping up excess water.

Eventually the whole thing  deteriorated into dipping the big sponge in the water and watching it soak up liquid and then squeezing it back out.  She had a grand time with this.  We’ll probably try the garlic press portion of the activity again in 5-6 months.

Notes from the Trenches: This is another “only a bib and a diaper” activity.  It was really messy.  We got water everywhere.  You are advised to keep a couple of towels within arms reach at all times.

Rating: 4 Stars * (Easy, Fun, Independent, Frugal)