Locks & Latches Board
Every teacher has a couple of resources that stand out as absolute ‘must-haves’ for the classroom environment. A Locks & Latches Board is one of my ‘must-haves’...and it is just as engaging and inspiring in the home!
The Locks and Latches Board measures approximately 31cm x 24cm, with about 2cm in height for the board itself.
It has a total of 4 doors with different types of latches and locks. Many of these require persistence and dexterity to open to encourage children to develop their fine motor strength and control.
I personally love the attention to detail when it comes to what is hiding inside each type of door. Each of them has its own special theme - so the school locker reveals books and an apple, the car boot houses grocery shopping and so on!
There are lots of features that I appreciate about the Locks & Latches Board, but here are my favourites:
- It promotes fine-motor control and dexterity as little fingers work to open each lock and latch.
- It encourages long periods of concentration and persistent problem-solving (in my experience each child who uses this resource spends a long time on it!).
- It inspires social interaction as several children start to collaborate on opening the doors and communicating about what they discover within.
The Locks & Latches Board is from the highly regarded brand Melissa & Doug. Melissa & Doug products are well known for their educational value, cute aesthetics and high-quality, long-lasting production. The Board is recommended by the manufacturer for ages 3 +
