Sensory Time with Beans! (BLT)

            I have been wanting to do something new and different with Myka for a week or so now. While I would like to do something messy, I have accidentally turned her into an ocd clean freak and don't think she would enjoy it much. :/ (The things you do without thinking about them that change the way your kids act, huh?)
            As I've mentioned before, I love sensory activities. They're just fun! Since "messy" was out of the question, "BEANS!" just randomly hit me last Friday evening. They're cheap, you don't need many, they're not messy, and they're easy to clean up. What's not to love? So I got the containers we use for playing with water beads a handful or two of pinto beans and we went to town...

Have I ever mentioned that Myka obsessively sorts things? I figure it's just the age she's at, right? Watch the short video below to see what I mean.

She finally realized, "Hey, I can dump these together...or all over the floor." :)

            I also got some of her play utensils to play in the beans with, but she wasn't all that impressed. She managed to scoop some up by herself once. She stayed entertained for awhile by putting one bean at a time on the big spoon while I held it. lol Since she gets SO into her seemingly arbitrary sorting, we threw a 3rd container into the mix at one point to see what she would do. It didn't take her long before she decided to completely ignore it. lol 

            Myka had lots of fun playing with the beans, though. So much so, in fact, she played with them for at least 30 minutes. I tried to sneakily put them away while she was distracted by daddy. I am really surprised she didn't throw a fit when she caught me. Now, for the break down...

Sensory Time with Beans is good for:

-hand/eye coordination

-fine motor skills

-counting

-cause and effect (Hey, if I tilt this container sideways the beans go spilling all over the floor. You get the idea.)

-discovering new sounds (and how to make them) by shaking the beans and whatnot

-learning how to utilize objects (If you decide to use spoons or cups or whatever to play in the beads with.)

            And, as usual, I'm sure I'm forgetting some. It's not an exhaustive list.

Disclaimer time!

Please use common sense when choosing activities and toys for your children. You know your child better than anyone else. (In theory.) If it's likely that he/she is going to put small objects that are potential choking hazards (ahem, such as beans) in his/her mouth, DON'T GIVE THEM TO HIM/HER! Choose a different age/child appropriate toy or activity. And please, PLEASE supervise your children. Thanks!