Pouring with Preschoolers
This pouring activity was a HUGE hit with my preschoolers! I was inspired by my friend Jen, from TV-Free Toddler Time. I love her blog! She has so many simple entertainment ideas from years of experience raising ten kids.
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What you will need to pour with you kids and keep your sanity:
- A variety of different sized containers
- A big sheet to limit the mess and hopefully salvage some of the wheat
- A big bucket of wheat
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Jen used rice, you could also use dirt, a box of instant potatoes, dried beans, etc. We just used wheat as we have it on hand in big 5 gallon buckets for baking our bread.
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Opportunities for Learning with a Pouring Activity:
Practice hand and eye coordination. We got some measuring cups recently from Pourfect Bowl. They advertised them as great for kids as they are formed to make spilling a rare occurence. I was actually surprised. They made this activity a lot less messy than it potentially could have been (rubber on the bottom makes them harder to accidentally tip, and if you do tip them, the way the sides are curved makes the contents stay inside the bowl). The kids got to practice hand and eye coordination as they poured the wheat from one container to the next. 
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Explore amounts. Which container holds more, the one that is deep and narrow? The one that is big but flat? The square tub? The round salad bowl? I really wish I was able to spend more time talking with them about the activity. Unfortunately, they were too distracted by the newness of this activity for many science experiments. We’ll do those in a later post, hopefully.
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Textures. This was especially enthralling to my youngest, she loved dipping her whole arm into the bucket and the feeling of the wheat squishing in her fingers. She also enjoyed helping me clean up and picking up the grains individually.
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Overall, this was a lot less messy than I anticipated! I didn’t even have to vacuum the floor when we were done, just take the sheet out and shake what I couldn’t put back into the bucket. Who knows, we might have some wheat growing in our backyard this summer.
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Added this fun activity to the collection on We Play. Check it out!
They love to splash in the summer rain puddles…or spring rain 🙂
.-= Candi @ Family Stamping and FOOD!´s last blog ..Frugal Gardening: Whatcha Plantin’? =-.
This is a great activity! My two year old will love it!
What fun!
We love going to the fountains in our city and splashing around! Can’t wait for summer!
I found your blog on the UBP, I love it, I am forever trying to find things to with my kids, this will help tons! Thank you for sharing!
Find me at forgetthedognotthebaby.blogspot.com
Hey, great idea!!! Found you via the UBP! I just posted about my girls doing something similar — we dubbed it “Bean Pool” (http://chinacat.org/roller/sunfrog/date/20100408). I like the idea of using wheat, though, gotta try that!
.-= Kristin @ Intrepid Murmurings´s last blog ..What do you DO all day? Thoughts on scheduling your days at home with kids… =-.
Great idea! Looks like you have a lot of good ideas on here. Thanks for stopping by my blog!
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Everybody say "Par-TAY!" Ultimate Blog Party, that is =-.
our favorite summer activity is to go to the pool, where my son goes off the diving board non-stop
What a cute activity. Thanks for stopping by my blog during the UBP. Good luck winning prizes.
Love your site!! We’re always looking for new activities to do : ) and those pour perfect cups sound awesome!
Thanks for stopping by my blog, I’ll definitely be back here often : )
.-= Joye´s last blog ..blog partyin’ =-.
Anything with water and mud. The more water and mud the better. I love this activity and did it with my oldest when he was in OT for Sensory Integration Training…so fun!
I subscribed via my reader…sorry you weren’t there already!
That looks like a lot of fun. I have wheat berries. This would be a great activity for my kids. Thanks for stopping by my blog from the UBP. Have a great week! Rene
.-= Rene @BudgetSavingMom´s last blog ..Ultimate Blog Party =-.
thanks for the awesome giveaway!
our favorite summer activity is doing obstacle courses in the backyard followed by homemade snowcones. it is so much fun!
kate
katenowakistan @ gmail.com
My son’s favorite activity is playing on the slides or swings!
.-= Cassie´s last blog ..Hello Party People! =-.
Oooo my trips would love this…their favorite activity is finger paints…the messier the better!! 😀 great ideas as always!!
Thank you for visiting my site! I love your blog, Rachel–these are great ideas, and it’s so great that you include the skills practiced. Very informative & fun!
Hi, visiting over from The Homeschool Lounge.. Love the blog lots of great ideas. I really love the cooking ideas.
.-= LaToya´s last blog ..I ™m a Diva! =-.
Thanks for stopping by our UBP10 party! I couldn’t find your UBP post, but I wanted to say I love your blog! I teach preschool part time and have preschool and toddler aged kids of my own, so I’ll definitely be back to check out your site some more! Thanks for all the activities you have posted!
.-= Cheryl´s last blog ..Working at home with children =-.
I found you via the UBP10. I’m really liking your blog. It’s great. I have a preschooler who is home with me all day and I’d love to find some new activities to freshen things up a bit. I look forward to looking around your blog.
.-= Jessica @ DebtPrincess´s last blog ..Let’s Parrrrrtay! =-.
my kids would LOVE this activity – as long as it was outside – I think my OCD could handle it! hee hee Thanks for stopping by my UBP blog post
Hey, my kids love pouring. Ok, they really just like making messes but that goes without saying. Seriously though, I’d love to win this giveaway.
I’m following you on FB now! yay!
.-= Kim Chance´s last blog ..All About Seeds =-.
Stopping by to say hi and thanks for visiting my blog! I am such a wimp when it comes to sand, but from looking around on your blog, the activities are too fun to miss out on!
.-= Beth´s last blog ..Repost for T21 Ability Monday =-.
Hi! Popping by as part of the UBP! With a name like quirky momma, I couldn’t resist!
.-= Cheryl D.´s last blog ..At the Movies =-.
i am already a facebook fan
.-= pam´s last blog ..Mamarazzi Monday =-.
we are constantly pouring things from one place to another. how fun would it be to have these
Thanks for saying hi! 🙂
I would love to win these for my boys.
Their favorite thing is to walk to the nearby Y and play in the outdoor splash pad – we’re there several times a week during the summer 🙂
.-= Jessica @ Boy Terrain´s last blog ..Couch Time – My Solution to Two Boys and Nap Time =-.
Hey, my kids love pouring. Ok, they really just like making messes but that goes without saying. Seriously though, I’d love to win this giveaway.
We have a big rice tub in our garage. My children love playing with all of the different size containers. It’s great for measurement too!
We don’t have a pool in backyard, but we do have bucket and large tubs. The kids get out all of the buckets and tubs and fill them with water. They have a blast measuring and playing with all of the water toys!
We play with rice for our pouring and filling play but I would love a HUGE bucket like that 🙂
Thanks for playing.
.-= Christie – Childhood 101´s last blog ..Sponsor Spotlight: Dress Ups =-.
I undoubtedly didn’t realize that. Learnt some thing new nowadays! Thanks for that.
Thank you soooooooo much for this blog! With two little guys, age one and two, and me being not-so-crafty, these ideas are like gold for us. Also, love the inspiration from Micah 6:8 in your bio. God bless you and your family!
Trying to handle two kids,age 3 and age 5.Your blog just gave me a brand new list of ideas to try out;I don’t know what I would have done if I hadn’t come accross this blog post.Once again,God bless you very much!