Rubber Band Activities for Toddlers?

Just like my childhood days, I’ve found myself aimlessly inserting a rubber band between my thumb and index finger and firing it at an empty can on my desk. As you can tell, I’m severely procrastinating about my work. But that’s when it occurred to me, what a simple invention a rubber band is, yet it’s used for such a variety of things. Whether it’s conventional, for games, or to just pester your friends, it’s honestly outstanding for all of them. That’s when I thought to myself, let’s bring my childhood back to life. So, I stopped procrastinating and began some rather in-depth research about “What are some rubber band activities for toddlers”.

From maths games, music lessons to general fun backyard games, there are an array of different activities that you’re able to perform with a rubber band for toddlers. For example, create your own homemade DIY guitar and use the rubber bands as the strings. Or, create a geoboard for your child and start introducing them to the world of geometric shapes.  

After constructing some serious research, I was amazed by the number of activities you’re able to achieve from a rubber band. Not just for toddlers but also for the whole family. It amazes me that something invented in 1845 can still provide the benefits this object can hold.

In this article, we go into detail about activities you’re able to create with a rubber band for toddlers. As well as some additional extras to ensure you get that further inspiration to what you’re able to accomplish with a rubber band. And, you never know, you might even come up with a new and trendy game that all ages can enjoy. So, without further or due, let’s get into this exciting article.

Enjoyable DIY Rubber Band Activities

Now for the reason, you came to this post, the rubber band activities! The list is extensive and ranges from creating catapults all the way to learning how instruments and shapes work. I thought I would make this list as comprehensive as possible to suit all viewer’s needs. Remember, always make sure that a responsible adult accompanies the toddler to avoid any potential injuries. Although rubber bands are light and enjoyable, they’re easy to choke on and can cause pain to an individual if they’re not sure how the physics work behind it. Other than that, let’s get into this.

Fire A Plastic Cup Catapult

Since I was young, my brothers and I would flick rubber bands at each other. In some cases, it hurt a lot, but others not so bad. However, this would cause too much pain to a toddler, so let’s skip that idea.

The toddler’s version of this would be a plastic cup catapult, minus the shooting at each other. Because of how this cup is made, it cannot be pulled enough to inflict any severe pain, and it’s rather enjoyable for all toddlers.

To create this, you need plastic cups and a selection of rubber bands. It’s a simple concept and can be made in a matter of seconds if you have all of the equipment. To find out how to achieve this exciting child-friendly catapult, watch the below video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsOTniCDiEI

Rock with A Box Guitar

Children and especially toddlers love playing with instruments. Whether it’s something as simple as a maraca, a drum set, or in this case, a guitar, it’s a great DIY project to construct with your toddler, and it can introduce them to the world of music. As a parent, it’s essential to fill your child’s life up with various fun activities. Especially at a young age, as this can encourage them to become passionate about something.

From making a box guitar, you’re able to inspire them to play instruments. Although a rubber band guitar isn’t a real instrument, you get the idea.

Creating this homemade DIY box guitar is pretty simple and can be made from everyday household items. All you need is a box and around ten rubber bands. If you want to create this into a learning activity, you can have ten different coloured rubber bands and shout out which coloured band they need to ping.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6fJot1M6kzk

Learn with A Geoboard

When growing up, you’ve probably been introduced to a geoboard. For those who can’t remember, it’s simply a board with various dowels protruding through it, and you’re able to make a geometric shape with them by using string or in this case, rubber bands.

This is a terrific pass timer for a toddler but also an even better learning game. Here the child will be able to re-create specific shapes by using rubber bands. Oh, and did I mentioned it’s super simple to create?

Like all these ideas, creating a geoboard is reasonably straightforward, and you just need the right components. To create this board, you need a square piece of wood, some wooden dowels, an adhesive, and various measuring tools. Attach the dowels to the square piece of wood and evenly spread them out across the square.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n3uc0OMrWVY

Construct A Ball

Something the majority of us have accomplished in our lifetime, and that’s creating a rubber band ball. Personally, I found myself doing this in my school years during class, and it made for a perfect bouncy ball.

Rubber band balls have been a phenomenon since this invention was first created. Even so, that there’s a Guinness world record for the biggest ever rubber band ball. Back in 2008, a person named Joel Waul made the tallest rubber band ball that was a whopping 6 ft 7” high and was constructed from over 700,000 rubber bands. Although this is taking it to the extreme, you get the whole idea.

After creating a ball, the possibilities are endless. You can set up a basketball hoop with an unused bin or use it as a bouncy ball. Let your imagination run wild with this one.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ypxRj4kRhPM

Make A Car

Now, if you’re more of an advanced DIY person, these following two ideas are going to be right up your street.

With this first option, you’re able to construct a car out of recycled materials, and of course, some rubber bands. This is a great afternoon activity for a toddler and can also be enormously satisfying to make.

Here the rubber bands act as the motor to power the car forward. Although it won’t go very far as the rubber band’s force can only be used once before you have to replace it, creating this can still be a ball of fun.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SC7Nbn1W6sY

Craft A Boat

Not into the whole car idea? That’s okay. Why not create a boat? The concept behind this idea is a well-thought one, and I’m happy I came across it. Again, like all the rubber band activities mentioned on this list, it’s super easy to create and provides bundles of fun to a toddler.

Although this requires the most materials out of all the ideas mentioned, they should be reasonably standard household goods.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USB-dHeWMiY

Benefits of Playing with a Rubber Band

Apart from these rubber band activities providing enjoyment to your toddler, there are many more benefits they’ll also receive that you may be unaware of.

Strength

If you’ve ever worked out with resistance bands, you’ll understand this. Imagine the force that is provided when working out with resistance bands. This is the same for when a toddler stretching and playing with a rubber band. It won’t be straining on the muscles or joints, but they’ll become stronger over time.

Motor skills

As toddlers are growing up, it’s ideal to teach them motor skills. In simple words, motor skills is a way of learning through physical movement. Creating shapes, games, or instruments are all considered motor skills, and it can be gratifying during their growing stages. They’ll start to understand the basic fundamentals of these objects, and to have some understanding is better than none.

Learning 

Following motor skills, they’ll also be having fun while getting educational benefits. Take the geoboard for an example. Here, your toddler will be introduced to geometric shapes, how many sides they have, what they look like, how to create them, etc. Although it may seem like they’re “just playing”, they’re actually analyzing much more than meets the eye. By providing them with games like this will help them grasp a general understanding of geometric shapes.

All of the above benefits may seem minor, but they certainly add up over time. At the end of the day, it’s your child, and the best way for them to grow, learn or become creative is through having fun. Considering how easy the above activities are to create, it would be daft not to try and introduce these fun DIY rubber band projects to your toddler’s lives.

Health and Safety for Rubber Band Usage

Rubber bands may seem harmless, but they can cause some serious harm if left unattended with a toddler. Be sure that a responsible adult is always around the toddler when they’re playing with rubber bands to avoid any incidents.

The following issues can occur when a toddler is playing with rubber bands incorrectly:

• Self-inflicted pain
• Choking
• Strangulation

Different Types of Rubber Bands

Those who want to get super creative with their rubber band activities may think you are restricted by band choice. However, this isn’t the case, and in fact, you have a multitude of different styles of rubber bands to choose from to benefit your project.

The original rubber band

This is a type of banding that we’re all familiar with. Typically you’d find this one in office spaces, schools, and practically anywhere that requires a rubber band.

Furniture bands

Something you may be unfamiliar with, and that’s a furniture band. These are a lot larger in size and can withstand some severe pressure. They can be found in all types of widths and can go up to lengths of 40 inches.

Pallet bands

If you’re looking for something that has some serious stretching capabilities, then a pallet band may be something you consider. This type of band can stretch 300% more than its original relaxed state, remarkably impressive.

Trash barrel bands

Something that you may know about is trash barrel bands. These are commonly used to secure bags within your trash cans. It’s a widely used rubber band as is frequently found in various households. In some cases, these can be slightly stretcher than an original rubber band.

These are your four main types of banding solutions, and each can be taken advantage of depending on its application. For example, it’ll be rare to find a “normal” rubber band that can stretch up to 300% of its size. If your project requires this, you may want to opt-in for a pallet band.

Conclusion

After reading through this highly in-depth article about rubber band activities for toddlers, you should have a broader understanding of what you’re able to achieve from such a simple invention. It’s honestly remarkable, and before conducting some research, I really didn’t know that there were this many activities you’re able to achieve from it.

I thought I would mention a variety of activities based on games, mischief, and learning so you’re able to implement these activities today and if you want to find other activities suitable for the all-ages click this tab. Most of the above can be created from general household items that are typically recyclable, so you make the most out of your trash.

However, before starting any of these projects, remember the health and safety hazards that can occur to toddlers that are using rubber bands. To the eye, rubber bands can seem relatively harmless, but they can cause some serious and even life-threatening issues if they aren’t used correctly. But don’t worry too much. These issues are extremely easy to avoid, It’ll only require someone to be present while the activities are happening.

Now, what are you waiting for? Start going through your cupboards and begin to develop an exciting and enjoyable rubber band activity for your toddler.