This work was actually not planned — it came about because we noticed the way both girls were playing with some random bits at the hardware store, so we decided to follow the child and put something together!

While we were picking out nuts and bolts of varying sizes for the Nuts and Bolts Board, L grabbed a large bolt and some washers from one of the bins and started putting them together.  Then N started getting fussy in the shopping cart, so we gave them to her to play with while we continued to shop.  When we got home, my husband decided to turn it into a ring post, but we wanted to make it a little more challenging than a traditional ring post.

He put the bolt through a board so that it was sticking out horizontally, and we put the washers into a bucket beside the post.  N was not really into taking pictures for a blog post, so here’s what it looks like when the child has put a few rings on:

This is a great manipulative activity for young toddlers, and it is unique because the post is horizontal rather than vertical — requiring different hand motions and coordination to get that ring to slip on the bolt.  The washers are large enough that they slip right on, but for a higher level of difficulty, you could replace the washers with nuts that the child would have to twist onto the bolt.

Want one?  My husband made some extras to sell in our Etsy shop.  Get yours here!