Pulling Box for Baby

At two-months-old, baby girl had so much fun gazing at her star box . However, by the time she was four-months-old, she started rolling about and quickly outgrew her star box. She continued to enjoy watching the lights, but she needed something to do with her hands. I wanted to provide her with an activity that encouraged her to reach, grab, and pull (something other than my hair!). I modified her star box and came up with this pulling box for baby. See below for information on how to build your own!

Supplies: A cardboard box, Christmas lights, a knife, packing tape, and a variety of different textured items found around the house that baby can pull on. (I used a pair of old tights, soft rope, and some of baby’s play links.)

After you have followed the assembly directions for the star box here, you can start hanging your found items from the top of the box. I used a knife to cut “x’s” in the top of the box, then tied knots at the end of the rope and tights before slipping the items through the slits.

This activity box is great entertainment for your baby. I watched my babe grab on to the links and rope, and shake the box as she played. She also used two hands to pull herself off the ground (a baby pull up!).

In addition to having fun, your baby will be presented with a great sensory experience. She will feel the different textures of the items hanging from the box. She will also be presented with visual stimulation from the lights at the top of the box.

This activity also works to improve baby’s hand-eye coordination. She will have to coordinate reaching out and grabbing on to a moving target. This can be quite challenging!