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.
.
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
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
Added this fun activity to the collection on We Play. Check it out!
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.
.
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.
.
.
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.
.
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.
.
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.
.
Added this fun activity to the collection on We Play. Check it out!
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
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! =-.
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 =-.
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! =-.
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!
Oooo my trips would love this…their favorite activity is finger paints…the messier the better!! 😀 great ideas as always!!
My son’s favorite activity is playing on the slides or swings!
.-= Cassie´s last blog ..Hello Party People! =-.
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
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 =-.
I subscribed via my reader…sorry you weren’t there already!