Sensory Fun: Making a Rice Pit

Yesterday afternoon we headed outside to play and it started to rain on us. A sun shower to begin, it quickly clouded over and became cold and wet. So we aborted our outdoor plans and headed back inside.

Now what to do?

My eyes spied the big bag of rice that I had bought to make a rice tray for Immy, well no time like the present. I pumped up her blow up pool in an effort to contain the mess the rice would make (though I also keep the dustpan and brush close by!) and then added the tub of rice and an assortment of tubs and spoons.

This morning the rice was her first play choice and she returned to it regularly throughout the day. It is a really nice alternative to our outdoor sandpit which has spent the past few weeks completely waterlogged. And like sand, it is a wonderful sensory experience – feeling lovely as it runs between your fingers and sounding melodic as it is poured.

I have plans for extending our rice activities once the initial interest wanes by;

• Colouring the rice
• Adding some clear, wide plastic tubing and maybe some cardboard tubes as well
• Collecting some more plastic bottles, preferably with a wide opening, for pouring
• I would like to scent the rice as well but as she is still tending to put it in her mouth I am limited to cooking essenses rather than essential oils

Related Posts – More Sensory Play Ideas

• Mudpies & Magpies – 10 Super Sandpit Ideas
• Cooked Playdough from The Lost Art of Childhood
• Edible Fingerpaint