"Can I put a lot of color in this?" -Coloring rice

We were fortunate enough to be able to order a huge sack of rice for the center so I added some to the sensory table. For the first two weeks of class the children poured and stirred. Today, though I thought it was time to jazz it up a little bit by adding some color. 

To begin, I set a bunch of bowls on the table each with a corresponding color. The children added rice and water color as they saw fit and stirred and stirred. 

The more color they added the deeper and richer the color got. 

Who could blame them for wanting to add the whole bottle? I did have them stop when the color started to puddle because I want the rice to dry so I can put it back in the table or use it for another project.

Honestly, I've never met a child who didn't love to make something colorful. They are so enthralled by the instantaneous effects of swirling around some paint. The action is soothing and the results are always interesting. Some children even chose to view the colors through a magnifying glass: 

 After we colored the rice the children begged to mix the rice, so we did that next. 

I can't wait to use this rice in some collage work. 

The end! 

the ball machine part II

At our morning gathering, I ask the children where they want to go play and what they are going to do. I think I need to change my question to 'what are you want to create today since it works for all areas.

Anyway, Em decided she wanted to build another Ball Machine. Here is her creation:

The following is our conversation about the machine:

E: First, it jumps inside to get paint [left side].
Ms. Erin: Why do they get paint?
E: It get purple and black. It goes down here with the other balls [points to ramp and circle]. These balls are inside they home. They got to close they home so they all fit.
Ms. Erin: What happens over here? [points to four squares]
E: They go back up here and get more paint.

Here is her drawing, painted with watercolors (MUCH more detailed than the first):

The following is her work represented with three dimentional objects using her drawing as a reference. Set out a plethora of collage materials she could choose from to create with:

Her final product:

Em is definitely interested in the balls being painted, so I plan to continute from that angle.