Rice Play – Playgroup

Children of all ages and abilities can discover and play with rice any way they choose – making it a great playgroup activity!

Did you know?

Rice can easily be coloured and scented and stores well for ages! Make a tub and put it on a tarpaulin on the floor. This is great play indoors or under shelter on a wet day.

Add language

Playing with rice in a group gives children the opportunity to take turns, cooperate and engage in conversations.

A free play activity with rice in a tub and some toy people, animals or other items thrown in encourages role-playing and story-telling.

Other development

Play with rice provides a fun opportunity for children to play together because it is simple, sensory-based and open-ended. This means there aren’t any tricky rules and all of the children can have a turn if you have multiples of tools and toys in the rice. Rice play can also work well when different age groups are playing together, as each child can play in their own way.

Rice play encourages exploring and experimenting. Add some different containers and sand tools and the children can be learning early science and maths concepts e.g. mass, gravity, motion, volume, and size, weight and shape comparisons.

Variations

Rice can be added to playdough for an interesting texture to explore!

Coloured rice can be used for craft. It is wonderful to stick on cards or pictures to add texture and extra interest.

Activities listed under “playgroup” are suitable for groups of children of various ages. They provide opportunities for early learning and social play.