To be honest, I never thought about buying a barrel of monkeys for B. Grandma introduced him to his first barrel and I thought it was a big mess for one little game. Fast forward 3 months and I'm so happy that we had those monkeys! B came up with so many different ways to use them.
First, you can link them together in the intended way from random places - handles, hooks, knobs, etc. String them together and use them to practice counting.
Second, tie a string between two chairs and hang them on the string (pictured above). This is great for fine motor skill development.
You can sort them by color. These are hanging from the basketball net.
You can use them to make patterns.
Our favorite game to play with the monkeys is to hang them from the bottom of the basketball hoop and shoot the ball to see how many we can knock off. Fun!
So many ways to play AND learn!
Also, here is a Barrel of Monkeys printable from Making Learning Fun that focuses on matching colors.
I love these ideas! I never thought of getting them either, but now I think they will make a great stocking stuffer this year with all the learning possibilities. I like hooking them to the basketball hoop and seeing how many you can knock off :0)
ReplyDeleteThank you for this post. I keep eyeing them at the store but envisioned them scattered all over the house and never picked them up. I think I'll go back.
ReplyDeleteoo so fun! We have a barrel of dinosaurs that my mom gave Sammy! I haven't gotten that creative with them yet though! Love these ideas!
ReplyDeleteThese have made me nervous in the past too. I just know I am destined to lose them! But love your ideas enough that I might just have to look for them next time we are out.
ReplyDeleteYou make me want to buy some! I've given them as gifts, but my son doesn't have a set. Love when toys can become multifunctional like that.
ReplyDeleteawesome!...we have some but i never thought of using them as a learning tool...thanks for the great ideas!
ReplyDeleteWe still have our Barrell of Monkeys and even our Toy Story Barrell of Monkey's. I can't tell you have much fun we had with them, and you know what, I bet if I were to bring them out right now, one or all of my children would start playing.
ReplyDeleteLOVE the basket ball hoop game idea! Looks like I'm gonna have to buy more monkeys! Found your site via My Delicious Ambiguity and am SO GLAD! You have some WONDERFUL ideas!
ReplyDeleteI have a set of those. I've never known what to do with them! A sort of strange guy that I dated before I met my husband gave them to me as a gift. (he was not more fun than a barrel of monkeys.) I kept them for some reason. I guess now I have a reason!!;)
ReplyDeleteHow funny! I love open-ended toys like that.
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