How making a rice bin is the best (and easiest) toddler activity ever.
Oh dear sweet rice bin. How do I love thee? Let me count the ways…
Friends, this is the best toddler activity! I cannot begin to explain how much you need a rice bin in your life. I’m going to try to write it out for you but we all know how deep, true love sometimes has a hard time coming across in print. I’m channeling my inner Shakespeare to write this sonnet.
The first rice bin I had for my toddler was when he was 21 months old. It was magic for a young toddler! It was one of his first real sensory activities so I’ll always have a nostalgic love for “Rice Bin”. Now that he’s 2.5, the magic of the rice bin still exists.
Materials:
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My toddler, Sam, just loves the rice bin. He loved it at 21 months old and he loves it still – almost a year later! Dump a bag (about 16 oz) into a large tub. Add scoops, cups, spoons, and even some funnels for your toddler to work with. Sam always adds in his construction trucks too.
The amount of play that I can buy with a simple rice bin is astounding. And I know it’s not just my toddler because all his little toddler friends love this bin just as much. MOM TRUTH: In the beginning, my son would try to sneak rice out the bin and make a mess. I wasn’t having any of that. A few “rice bin time outs” and he got the message. He’s an old pro at rice bin behavior now.
There’s something magical about this bin that I can’t put my finger on. It’s intoxicating for toddlers – they’re drawn into it. Each time I put together a rice bin, my toddler plays for at least 30 minutes independently (which feels like an eternity!!).
Sometimes I just leave the rice in the tub and store it all under the couch or in the laundry room. Other times I just pour the rice back into a Tupperware and store it for later. We don’t eat this rice, but I do keep it for more sensory play. We’ve been reusing the same rice for 8 months now. How’s that for cost effective!
Rice Bin is in it’s own category of toddler activities for us because it’s just that good. It’s best for rainy days, mom sick days, or days when you just need a few minutes of toddler independent play. I hope you’ll give it a try! It lasts forever so you may be out a few bags of rice, but you’ll make it back in quiet time happiness.
Will you try a rice bin at your house?
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Silvija says
Thanks for this 🙂
Mo says
You had me at “30 minutes of independent play!” Thanks for the great idea. I would have never thought of it myself. Now I need to do more research on this sensory play concept. Thanks again!
Chelsea @ Life With My Littles says
We’ve been doing a black bean bin, and my son LOVES it! We use his construction cars with it, and he is always asking me to play “construction.” But it occupies him for 30+ minutes! The best!