DIY Treasure Chest for Toddlers

 

Today is Day #2 for “A Very Toddler Summer” series with Toddler Approved! We decided to create our own DIY Treasure Chest for Toddlers using a baby wipes container and baby food lids to kick off our first activity. And I just happened to have some gold spray paint leftover from our Solomon’s Temple blocks to make our makeshift “treasure chest” and gold coins a little more authentic-looking.

 

This Toddler Treasure hunt was a huge hit with Little Sister (16 months)…especially since this was the first time she got to play with sand! She loved it! Not only is it a great sensory activity for toddlers, it also helps with fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination. This glass baby food lids work especially well for toddlers as they are just large enough that they do not pose a choking hazard (unlike other store-bought gold coins).

 

Here’s what you’ll need:  A baby wipes container, lids from glass baby food containers, gold spray paint, a large plastic container, and sand!

 

 

WARNING:  If your child still puts items in his/her mouth, DO NOT apply spray paint to the baby food lids. Instead, just leave them as they are. We are in an in-between phase of this (Little Sister is getting better but still does occasionally), so I just watched her like a hawk while we were playing.

 

 

After I had everything else we needed, I happened to run by Dollar General to pick up a few things and found these gems (no pun intended). :)  I was especially excited about these because I wanted some type of jewels but couldn’t think of anything large/safe enough. And the boys can also use them in the pool when we are finished — BONUS!

 

First of all, I spray-painted the baby wipes container and the front and back of the baby food jar lids.

 

 

Then we put some sand in a plastic container and started hiding our “treasure”. I did end up having to use scissors to make the hole in the baby wipes container slightly larger so all the pieces could fit in.

 

 

Little Sister was very excited to find her treasure and put it in the treasure box!

 

 

But then she discovered she was even more excited about playing in the sand. :)

 

 

I think she got a little sand in her mouth. Oops.

 

Guess who else thought the treasure chest sensory tub was pretty fun? These guys.

 

 

 

Don’t forget to follow both Toddler Approved and I Can Teach My Child on Facebook and on Instagram. Kristina is @kristinatoddlerapproved and I am @jenaeteach.

 

And be sure to check out all of our toddler activities here:

 

 

Looking for more ways to repurpose baby wipes containers? Check out Feed the Alphabet Monster activity that is perfect for preschoolers!