The three rules
Everything in the bin is taste-safe. Nothing in the bin is smaller than a toilet-paper tube unless it is food. An adult is within arm's length of any water deeper than a puddle. Every activity in our program is built to pass those three.
Taste-safe fillers that work
Cooked pasta, dry oats, cooked rice dyed with food coloring, water with a drop of dish soap, whipped cream, yogurt paint, crushed cereal, gelatin, cloud dough made from flour and oil. Skip dry rice and beans for kids who still mouth things; they are choke risks and they end up everywhere.
Tools
Measuring cups, ladles, a turkey baster, a small colander, ice-cube trays, and a low bin on a towel. A washable tablecloth under the bin turns cleanup into a five-second bundle.
When to stop
When they throw it. Throwing is the end of the activity, not a discipline moment; say 'all done' and move to the next block.
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