Recently she’s been pretending to fly like a fairy and zapping us with her wand so I thought I would create a little sensory fairy scene for her.
Suitable for: 2 years+
Set up: 20 minutes (not including drying rice)
Resources
- Rice (I used basmati but long grain or anything like that will work too)
- Lemon Juice (optional but it helps the rice keep it’s colour)
- Food colouring
- Baking tray
- Tray or storage box to set up the activity
- Small world toys or scoops to use with the rice.
The set up
Mix 2 cups of rice, 2 tablespoons of lemon juice and the food colouring. I add them to a ziplock bag or a food storage container so I can shake it all up but a bowl would probably work too. Mix it all together, add more food colouring if you aren’t happy with the colour. Lay it all out onto a baking tray to dry for a few hours. I normally make it up in the morning to play with in the afternoon. Once it is all dry lay it out into your tray however you like.
Making the Most out of the activity
Ayla has always loved anything sensory, if she can pour it from container to container it is definitely a win! By adding in small world models it allows us to extend on that play so she can still pour the rice but she also has the opportunity to create a story of her own using the resources available. Follow your little ones lead and see where their play takes you, Ayla pretended the rice was rain as she sprinkle it on the fairies heads, they then hid in their house until it had stopped raining. We spoke about sounds, colours and even how the fairies were feeling!
Learning opportunities
- Literacy through mark making
- Gross motor skills through pouring
- Fine motor skills through picking up grains of rice
- Mathematics through quantities like more or less
- Imagination through role play
As well as learning colours, numbers, cause and effect