The next time you have a cardboard box or cardboard packaging from IKEA, think twice about recycling it right away! You can easily turn it into an amazing fine motor skill activity center using your toddler’s toy tools!

Toy tools are fabulous ways to help strengthen those muscles that will later be used in activities like writing. The twisting, turning and gripping of small objects all help to do this.

Here’s how to get started!

The set up for this fun activity center is very easy.

All you need to do it use a pair of scissors to punch holes in the cardboard. Once the holes were made I worked the different toy nails and screws into the holes to widen them enough so that the nails and screws fit but were small enough so that it still required a tool (like a hammer or screw driver) to secure them into the cardboard.

If you have a toy saw, cut the sides of the box in a few spots so that they can mimic the sawing action.

I used 4 different tool sets in this activity (my toddler is obsessed with tools right now!). Each has their own tools, nails and screws. Providing lots of opportunities for different turning and twisting action!

One of the sets she has includes a battery operated drill. In order to get the most developmental potential out of it, I fixed 4 tires to the sides of the cardboard. This forced her to use her hand-eye coordination in order to place the screws into the tire with one hand and hold the drill with the other.