Last year, we put together a “sensory play box” for Paige. It’s a Rubbermaid wrapping paper container that my Mom was getting rid of that we filled with all kinds of dried beans. I put in a few little toys to dig with and voila! an indoor sandbox of sorts was born.
We haven’t yet had trouble with the beans going everywhere. I take her out before she gets too restless. I can tell when she’s getting sick of it. But it’s the perfect thing to pull out when she seems whiny and ready for something special to do.
It turns out that this kind of sensory play is vital for a child’s development. Since last year, Paige continues to use her bean box. Now, she puts lots of animal figures in there to “go swimming” or “boating” or she practices her scooping and pouring. I’ve introduced tongs to the box so she can practice “biting the beans for the alligator.” Sometimes we hide little things in the beans and she has the task of finding them. She is working on perfecting her pincer grasp by sorting white beans and brown beans into different bowls… there are lots of ways to use the box!
Paige’s therapists often bring little boxes of their own beans (a shoebox size) filled with little toys inside for play. I’ve also seen them bring little boxes of dried pasta tubes (like ziti or macaroni). Paige enjoys digging through these as well. When her little friends come over, the beans are always a hit. Even with her 6 year old cousin! It’s been well worth having around… who knew?
Have you repurposed any household items for sensory play or as a safe, unique distraction?
Sensory Play Activities part 1 of 11
1. Cool Beans by Mrs. Hide and Seek2. Learning Through Play - Indoor Toddler Activities by Guides
3. Edible Fingerpaint by DIY
4. Baking as Sensory Play by DIY
5. Food Coloring + Vinegar + Baking Soda = 4th Grade Science Project by Mrs. Bee
6. Fine Motor Fun: Pudding Bags by Mrs. Cowgirl
7. What is a Discovery Basket and How to Make One by Kylie @ How We Montessori
8. Baby Games: What's that smell? by Mrs. Tricycle
9. DIY Construction Site Activity Tray by Caroline @ Armelle Blog
10. Making Sensory Play Manageable at Home by Mrs. Lion
11. 20 No Mess Sensory Activities by Mrs. Lion
squash / 13199 posts
Thats very interesting and unique! never seen anyone use dry beans before. Does she ever eat any of the dry beans? That would be my one concern
kiwi / 718 posts
I’ve seen the dried beans on pinterest, but don’t have any experience with it yet
and I’ve also seen on there the dried pasta & you can dye it different colours for the kids to play with – that looks pretty neat too.
admin / wonderful grape / 20724 posts
Charlie has a very similar box filled with colored balls. He loves to sit in it too! I have no idea why…
GOLD / olive / 65 posts
@mrsbells: nope, she’s never tried to eat them. I’ve heard of some kids sticking them up their noses. We haven’t had that problem either. I feel like she sees it as a sandbox. The beans feel so cool and smooth on the hands when you bury them and it just feels so nice to run my hands through them. I can see why she enjoys it. She does prefer wearing socks when she sits in them because having them get stuck between her toes distracts her.
pomegranate / 3053 posts
The beans in a big box is such a great idea! My son’s class had rice in a little box and filled it with farm animals but I thought rice was kind of messy to clean up. But beans are bigger and easier to see and clean up if it goes all over the place. And I like that they can sit in there. Once I get my son’s playroom set up (whenever that will be!) I’m going to see if we can fit one of those in there somewhere b/c I know he’s going to love it.
hostess / wonderful honeydew / 32460 posts
what a great idea!! will make lots of sensory boxes for my LO when she gets older and stops putting everything in her mouth.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
I’ve never seen this before. It is such a neat idea!
persimmon / 1255 posts
Love the sensory box and will definitely steal that idea when she’s no longer stuffing everything in her mouth.
As for repurposing, I use our living room storage ottoman sorta like a play pen for my LO. I used to fill it with her favorite stuff animals/toys and now it’s filled with small plastic jumphouse balls. She likes to climb in and out of the ottoman but doesn’t really know what to do with the balls yet so I’m planning on putting them away and re-introducing them when she’s a little older and can really get into them.
I also grouped a separate ottoman, a large floor pillow, her old car seat, and a laundry basket against a wall to make a makeshift play gym for her to climb on. Every, few weeks, I’ll rearrange and move the “gym” to a different location to keep her interested.
LO loves to open and close things so I’m in the process of collecting flip top lids, zippers and random latches so that I can glue them onto a board and let her practice opening and closing them.
honeydew / 7968 posts
very cool idea! love it.
blogger / pomegranate / 3201 posts
What a fun activity!
pomegranate / 3045 posts
What a great idea!
bananas / 9118 posts
I remember in K or 1st grade we had a kiddie pool filled with rice that we played with- one of my favorite memories of early childhood, I still think of it and smile!
GOLD / olive / 65 posts
Another cool idea I’ve seen is filling a cheapie kiddie pool with tons of those colored balls from ball pits. For the littler ones…no choking hazards and they delight in sitting in all of that.
GOLD / pomelo / 5167 posts
Interesting, I never thought of doing something like this. hmmm…
admin / watermelon / 14210 posts
i really want to do this. i don’t think charlie would eat the beans — he’s really good about not putting things in his mouth. as long as i watch him when he’s playing, i think he should be ok. i’m sure he’d love it!
GOLD / olive / 65 posts
@mrs. bee: You should do it! I would do it supervised for a long time, and only recently is she able to play in the beans without me sitting there. We stored the box away under things when not in use; you could always store it under the crib or bed since it’s a low box.
GOLD / apricot / 337 posts
What a great idea! I think LM would love this! She’s all about touching and digging through stuff now.
persimmon / 1329 posts
very very cool!
guest
I have had a bean box for my son for several years now. Even at 6 1/2, he goes to it whenever he want to (now that he’s older, he just stands next to it and runs his hands through). One piece of advice: Bigger beans, such as kidney beans, don’t vacuum up well, while smaller beans, rice, and tiny pasta do. Word to the wise.
I also took some “magic sand” (a commercial sand that is soft and sticks together, much like the flour dough on this site but with an indefinite shelf life) and put it into one of those plastic containers that has wheels to slide under a bed (about 2′ X 4′). It can roll into the kitchen, where it’s easier to clean up after, and then go underneath something until the next time it’s used.