This is the last part of our feature on materials found at home that children can play with. Today we will feature “toys†you can find in your kitchen cupboards. It will take just a few minutes to put these “toys†together.
Dried Beans or Rice
Pour some dried beans or uncooked rice into a large bowl or box and give your child an empty bowl and lots of smaller cups. These cups can be used to scoop, measure, and pour the beans or rice from one container to the other.
To make it even more fun, add different types of beans, with different colors and shapes that can add to the sensory experience as well as help teach concepts on color and shape. Step up the challenge and develop finger muscles by giving your child a tweezer and ask him/her to pick up beans with the tweezer.
You can also dye the rice with different colors, which kids will surely love. Add one cup of uncooked rice into a bag. In a small bowl, combine one to two tablespoons of vinegar along with the food color and combine with the rice. Seal the bag (make sure to let out as much air as possible) and squish the vinegar mixture all over the rice. This is a great time for the kids to get involved. They will love squeezing all the color around. Once color is disbursed, pour out on some wax paper and let air dry.
Dry Pasta
Find different shapes of pasta that have holes through the middle, as well as some string for your kids to string the pasta to make bracelets and necklaces. Macaroni, penne, wheels, etc. are all great shapes for this. They can also glue pasta on thick paper or used folders to make pretty designs.
Add to the fun by dying the pasta into different colors by adding alcohol and food coloring to a ziplock bag and letting them soak, drain, and dry out overnight.
Flour
Kids love to help in the kitchen, but sometimes their “helping†can mean added work, especially when they accidentally pour out half of the contents off a container.
Let kids feel they like they’re helping by supplying them with a bowlful of flour and letting them play by themselves. You can also give a few extra old spices and water for them to mix and make their own dough.
You can put a thin layer of flour (or salt, sugar, even rice) into a baking tray and have your child draw or write letters with his/her finger. Shake a bit to erase! Practice shapes, letters, or simply have fun drawing.
You can also make play dough as it provides opportunities for the child to develop their hand muscles (essential for holding scissors, pencils, etc.).
To make it more fun, involve your child in the process of making. They enjoy watching it go from a dry mixture to a colored ball of dough.
Recipe for homemade play dough:
Mix together in a medium saucepan: 1 cup flour, 3/8 cup salt, 1 tbsp cream of tartar then add 1 cup water, 1 tbsp oil and 1-2 tsp food coloring to achieve the desired color.
Keep mixing until it becomes doughy. Let it cool first before giving it to the child.
Water
Spread some large bath towels on the floor and give children a few bowls of water and measuring cups, spoons, bowls, scoops, or even bath toys for them to play with in the water. They will love being able to splash and pour and play with water.
Since safety is always of primary concern, especially for children to play with these items, guidance from parents and/or adult is required.
Your child will probably find other items that can be of use for play and we’d love for you to share them with us. Please post a picture of your child’s toy on the RAFI Facebook site, www.facebook. com/rafi.org.ph.
Sources: http://www-llbbd/gov.uk/childrenand youngpeople/portage/documents/portage-messy-play.pdf
http://www.momtastic.com/home-and-living/home/168293-diy-kaeidoscope-rice
www.liverenewed.com/homemade-toys-from-your-kitchen-home