Uncooked Pasta Bin
The uncooked pasta bin is the most ideal sensory bin for those days you don't really want to clean up but need an activity to keep the kids occupied long enough for a little more than a cup of coffee.
It is not only taste safe, it is also the ideal size for optimal kid satisfaction while keeping clean up easy. Kids need to be able to scoop and pour the items easily to keep them occupied and uncooked pasta offers that while being a lot neater than a bin of beans or rice. As you can see from the photo below, stray pasta can easily be picked up and popped back into the bin even by the kids themselves.
Materials needed:
- Bag (or two) of pasta
- scoops
- Any cooking toys you have or simply spoons and a variety of containers.
How to:
- Pour pasta into a bin and set down with toys
- Let them loose!
I would say that this activity can match water play in terms of ease. If you have a mouther (a kid that can't stop putting things in their mouth), this can be a little more challenging in that at the end of the play you might have to throw out the pasta or plan to do it on a day you plan to cook pasta and use it up. But it is also a good opportunity to teach the child not to put things in their mouth.
When I introduced it to N (he is a mouther), I sat right next to them and kept a close eye on him, giving verbal reminders ever time a piece went close to his mouth. 3-4 reminders later, he was playing for good 10 minute periods without any attempt to mouth (though the massive drooling indicated a sure desire to 😂.
Pro tips:
- Keep to pasta that is easy to scoop but not too tiny like fusilli, shell or elbow pasta.
- You can colour the pasta pieces the same way you colour rice to make the activity more visually exciting
- Another alternative is to mix different types of pastas into the same bin.
- Always make sure all your toys are completely dry before you throw them into the bin.
- You can also put the bin in a larger bin. Get an under the bed bin and the kids can sit in the bigger bin and keep all the mess contained.
It is not only taste safe, it is also the ideal size for optimal kid satisfaction while keeping clean up easy. Kids need to be able to scoop and pour the items easily to keep them occupied and uncooked pasta offers that while being a lot neater than a bin of beans or rice. As you can see from the photo below, stray pasta can easily be picked up and popped back into the bin even by the kids themselves.
Materials needed:
- Bag (or two) of pasta
- scoops
- Any cooking toys you have or simply spoons and a variety of containers.
How to:
- Pour pasta into a bin and set down with toys
- Let them loose!
I would say that this activity can match water play in terms of ease. If you have a mouther (a kid that can't stop putting things in their mouth), this can be a little more challenging in that at the end of the play you might have to throw out the pasta or plan to do it on a day you plan to cook pasta and use it up. But it is also a good opportunity to teach the child not to put things in their mouth.
When I introduced it to N (he is a mouther), I sat right next to them and kept a close eye on him, giving verbal reminders ever time a piece went close to his mouth. 3-4 reminders later, he was playing for good 10 minute periods without any attempt to mouth (though the massive drooling indicated a sure desire to 😂.
Pro tips:
- Keep to pasta that is easy to scoop but not too tiny like fusilli, shell or elbow pasta.
- You can colour the pasta pieces the same way you colour rice to make the activity more visually exciting
- Another alternative is to mix different types of pastas into the same bin.
- Always make sure all your toys are completely dry before you throw them into the bin.
- You can also put the bin in a larger bin. Get an under the bed bin and the kids can sit in the bigger bin and keep all the mess contained.
Comments
Post a Comment