I couldn’t resist making an autumn themed fine motor skill rice tray after we collected a bag of lovely autumn treasures on a walk at the weekend.
What you’ll need:
Rice
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Ziploc bags
Autumn items – conkers, acorns, pinecones etc
How to dye rice
Place plain, cheap rice inside a ziploc bag, add a little food colouring and shake until all the rice is coloured. We chose autumn colours of red, yellow and orange.
Pour into a baking tray and leave to dry.
Mix the rice and add your autumn items.
Learning ideas
Use the tray for fine motor skill practice.
Ask children to sort the items into groups of 2, 3, 5 or 10.
Ask children to sort the items by size or colour.
Write numbers on the pumpkin seeds and use to practice number bonds to 10 or 20
If you don’t want to dye rice, fill the tray with leaves instead.
Questions to think and talk about
Why do pine cones open and close?
See here for the answer.
Why are conkers inside a spiky case?
What does an acorn contain the seed for?
Why do leaves change colour in autumn?
Suitable for Early Years Foundation Science
Understanding of the World
More Sensory Rice Tray Ideas
Roald Dahl themed fine motor control ideas
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