Rice Play: Find the Magnetic Letters

This activity is a great way to help your child learn letters (or numbers etc) by having them search for the letters in a fun, tactile way.

After hiding the magnets, I provided the tray full of rice and a paintbrush and demonstrated how to brush at the rice like a scientist would to delicately find what the rice was hiding.

Finding the first letter was very exciting!

Once all the letters were found she tipped out the rice and arranged the letters again herself

Tip the rice back on and begin all over again

Some tips:

- Use magnetic letters or numbers in a metal cake tin so that they stay where they are put

- Simplify this activity by focusing on only 1 letter/number at a time and by tipping the rice in the container for your child

- Extend this activity by using many letters/numbers to recount and practice what they know. Use a much larger metal tin to make them harder to find.

- Make the letters/numbers harder to find by using coloured rice

- This activity helps your child practice their hand-eye coordination, literacy/numeracy skills, fine motor skills etc

- Role play. Your child is a "Letter Scientist" etc and they are on an important mission to discover new letters... be as creative as you like! By adding role play, you are adding a whole other element of learning and imaginative play. It can also make it more interesting and FUN.

Debs :)