Dried Beans and Airplane

(Open Ended Play)

Sensory tray has always been a popular thing in the house. The open-ended nature of the materials provides Y with unlimited possibilities.  It’s one of my favorite spots to observe because it often inspires creative and collaborative play.

Dried flageolet beans has been our current favorite for the past week. She happen to love the Lego Duplo airplane as well this past 3 days. This is the first time I saw her mix and match both of her favorite thing in a tray.

Truthfully, the invitation play I provide was our usual pair: dried beans with container (a big bowl).

She lifted up the big bowl and brought it back to the kitchen drawer where it belongs. “Bye bye!”

She then went to the bedroom and brought in her favorite airplane to where the big bowl was.

Y dug and poured using measuring cups or squeezed a big handful of beans through her fingers. She spread the beans all over the tray. She also loaded and unloaded her airplane with beans over and over again.

She has been working on her fine motor skills while pouring with scoops, using math skills to count how many scoops she had poured, and having a lot of fun. The possibilities are really endless and so much fun to watch.

#toddler #play #openendedplay #beans #airplane #lego