Handmade Series: DIY Pull Box

This is a Montessori-inspired activity, made entirely from ribbon and yarn remnants, an empty box, a screw driver, washi tape and alphabet stickers (optional, for labeling the top).  I used a Zara box, which has a nice hinged lid, but a shoe box, or even a regular box turned upside down would work as well.  To make the pull box, I first sorted through my messy pile of yarn and ribbon leftovers to select a variety of thicknesses and lengths (you can also cut rolls of yarn or ribbon to desired lengths).  It works best if some pieces are short and others long, so that the amount of ribbon there is to pull varies.  I also liked having a variety of thicknesses, so the tactile experience of grabbing and pulling varies as well, which is great for fine motor skills.  Next, I used a screwdriver to poke holes into the lid of the box and then inserted my lengths of ribbon, tying knots at both the top and bottom (to prevent the ribbon from being pulled entirely out of the box by an eager toddler).  When the pieces were all in place, I opened the box and enjoyed looking at the pretty treasure chest of colorful ribbon inside.  (It looks like it might tangle easily, but we haven't had any problems.)  I used washi tape and alphabet stickers to cover the Zara name on top of the box, which also makes a nice label for the activity.  Finally, I let Matteo go crazy with his new pull box.  An older child could practice pulling the pieces back into the box as well, adding a level of complexity (we're not quite there yet!)  The whole project took less than an hour, and is a great addition to our Montessori-themed home classroom.