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 :)

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Playing with rice is a great tactile experience for children. Here I provided some basic "tools" and then let the playing begin.

As we were using a real ingredient, Madeline wanted to pretend to be cooking.

Using fine motor skills and coordination to move rice from a container to an ice cube tray with small tongs

 Some of the tools. Large spoon, small spoon, small tongs, measuring cup, scoop

 It takes time and concentration to fill such small holes

 Filled! Little "cakes" ready for serving

 "I'm making you a milkshake." Using a shaker and large cup to practice pouring and shaking

 Carefully spooning rice into a large cup and dividing it up between the cups

 Hand eye coordination working hard

Now I'm a chef. Adding her cooking apron and hat to get into character

Some tips:

- Try getting out a few different tools and vessels each time you do rice play to get a different learning experience each time and to practice different skills

- Whilst rice is easy to vacuum up, if you want to re-use it (waste not, want not) for future rice play, you will need a mat underneath and to encourage your child to attempt to keep it off the floor

- Dressing up can play a part in your child's experience. It may add a different element or change the direction of their play. How would a cowboy play with rice? (Why not find out?) :)

- Use correct vocabulary to describe the processes and experiences your child is having while they are playing. This puts it into context for them and helps develop their literacy skills

- Make your child aware of the problem solving they are doing. "How did you get the rice from that container to that container?" "That was a great idea" "How will you pour it into such a small hole without spilling it everywhere?" etc

Debs :)

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