Here are just a few things you can do with varieties of beans, rice or popcorn (all dry and uncooked/unpopped, of course!)…
Empty coffee cans make great instruments when filled with beans, rice, or popcorn! So do paper plates. Decorate two paper plates, fill with beans, rice, and/or popcorn, and staple them together to make tambourines.
Sorting exercise: Pour different varieties of beans, rice, and popcorn into a large bowl or other container, Have the kids sort them (like with like) into other bowls. This activity can take a very long time (maybe enough time for you to cook, shower, write a blog post, eat some bon-bons while watching a favorite TV show…get the picture?).
Digging: Pour beans, rice, or popcorn in a large box or container. You can bury little toys, and give the kids spoons, shovels, measuring cups/spoons, funnels, colanders, and toy tractors to dig out the buried toys.
Pouring practice: My son absolutely loves this, and it’s so easy (maybe not the clean-up if you leave them unattended for too long). Fill a small pitcher with your dried goods and have the kids practice pouring them (carefully) into a large bowl without spilling. Then try a smaller bowl, then a cup. Once mastered, try it with water!
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Love it! My mother in law recently colored a bunch of rice (uncooked) with food coloring and poured in a clear plastic water bottle. Sealed the top very well and my son loves shaking it!!!! Just got to make sure we’re always on top of him like a hawk when he’s playing with it.
Reminds me of sensory tables in schools. Good idea and relatively inexpensive!