5 Ways to Use your Boon Drying Rack

These popular drying racks are on almost every baby registry for new mamas. It's easy to see why. The white and green color offer a natural aesthetic that fit into most any kitchen, they are easy to clean, and small enough that they don't monopolize the space. But what can you do with it when your baby finishes the bottle stage?

1. Cheerio Posting: This fine motor activity is great for toddlers working on their pincer grasp - and it also doubles as breakfast.

2. Toy Storage: The drying rack works wonderfully for small toys or loose parts. We used it for our unit on emotions when we were playing with our peg dolls daily. The grass design helps toys stand up vertically without the option of being knocked down.

3. Pom Pom Transfer: Tuck pom poms into grass so they are just below the tip and provide tweezers. Here, they are working on the fine motor skill of holding and pinching tweezers, but also transferring the pom poms to a container. You can extend this activity by "hiding" anything in the grass (shapes, letters, numbers, etc.) and place the match on the side. As they pull out the object, have them find the pairs.

4. Cutting: Cut short strips of green paper and add them to the drying rock. The grass design allows the strips to stand up, giving a unique opportunity to cut using the scissors at an angle. This would be done best after first introducing scissor cutting in the vertical position.

5. Sensory Bin: The water tray below the grass works well for small sensory activities. We used it here for ice play with droppers, but we have also used it for marble rolling/painting and shaving cream play. You could even use it as a sand tray for letter writing practice.