Little Rice Sensory/Dramatic Play Box

Seriously don't YOU want to play with this!? 

These have to be my favourite to create! I just love trying to think up what little worlds I can create for play and exploration. For me it starts with what sensory materials I can put in the box then what can live there followed by what can I put in to enhance the experience with the sensory items (scoops for pouring?) or to extend the dramatic play (scoops as stools?). 

inside the big sensory bin - great having the area around it to put things too.

I decided to put this little rice box in our big sensory bin to minimize the mess. We, the big people 'round here, get a little 'ahh mess' when we are inside the house which stunts the play and learning experience. So to minimize that why not make it more mess friendly and therefore play friendly!  So now if Taya decided to pour rice from a high distance she can and I won't be standing holding my breath waiting to run for the dust buster.


 I do however remind her at the beginning with comments like "T where can we pour the rice? Is it okay to throw the rice? Where can we put the rice?" If she decides in her play that she needs to transport the rice, which is a common goal, I try to facilitate that but if it is not possible at that moment I often will comment on what I think she is trying to accomplish confirm that is what she wants to do and tell her that we can do that later/tomorrow when I can set that up for her. This works for us!  

Baby T testing gravity and making the rice 'rain' down - fun! 

Here is what I used to create this little box: 


Wood box (old drawer found at a recyclable art supply store) 
Rice 
Measuring spoons
Wood swatches (also found at above mentioned store)
Bean pods (again found at above mentioned store) 
Old apple sauce cups 
Jewels (glass beads used for vases) 
Safari animals 
Woven placemats (found at thrift store)

great for fine motor, we also like to play 'hide the jewls'

Overtime I will add and take away materials depending on the direction Baby T goes with her play/exploration. Likewise if I find something is being abused (i.e. bean pods being used as sward) I would take it away for a few days and reintroduce it and model how it might be used (slide for the animals or 'ohhhhh listen to the rice when we pour it onto of the bean pod" type of thing). 




check out more of our sensory explorations in the right hand menu bar under sensory play! 


Happy Playing 

Baby T could not resist getting inside the box to play!