I apologize in advance for the insane number of pictures in this post, but our rainbow rice bin was just SO pretty, I couldn't stop myself....  :)

You can read about how we made this rainbow rice here.

I wanted to think of an activity that would be appropriate for both X and S that involved plastic Easter eggs, since it's always nice to give those things a second life after the egg hunt is over.  I wanted S to experiment with different combinations and amounts of rice and pompoms and hypothesize about whether or not they'd make sound, and how much sound she thought they'd make.  I started the activity by setting up our rice in rainbow order and dumping a ton of pompoms on the ground.  I asked S to sort  the pompoms into the rainbow (she loves to sort!).

Once they were all in place, I brought out the plastic eggs and told her my idea.  I asked her for her hypotheses.  (She always starts by saying I have a hypothesis, which is the cutest thing ever) "I have a hypothesis - that the pompom eggs will be quietest and the rice eggs will be the loudest...and that the eggs with the most rice in them will be the loudest."

Before testing her hypotheses, she wanted to play in the rice.  :)

X reallllly wanted to play too.  He had a hard time resisting the temptation of sampling the rainbow rice.  Though it is non-toxic, it is not something I'd want a baby eating, so I had to watch him very carefully.

He spent quite a while investigating the plastic eggs.

Here's S making him one of several egg shakers (this was the one she was sure was going to be the loudest!).

S desperately wanted to sit in the rice.

Then she had a great time smooshing her feet around in it.

So of course X needed to try it, too.

Just a baby hanging out in a giant bin of rainbow rice.  :)

Exploring the rice some more.

S later decided she needed to take a quick "rice nap".

Did I mention that it's SO PRETTY?!?!?  :)

X loves his rice egg shakers.  He spins them around slowly and likes to watch the rice grains move.  He also loves music, so enjoys the different sounds they make.

Here's a sampling of what big sister made for him.  She was pleased to see that she was correct in her guess that the pompoms alone wouldn't make noise.  She was, however, shocked to find that the full-to-the-brim egg shaker was nearly silent!  She loves to show everyone who has come to visit since that "it's SO QUIET!!!"  It was a fun little experiment, and X now has some fun new musical toys to explore.

I'm not sure if you can see below, but I did seal the eggs with a piece of clear tape because they easily pop back open without it!

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All activities here are activities I feel are safe for my own children.  As your child's parents/guardians, you will need to decide what you feel is safe for your family.  I always encourage contacting your child's pediatrician for guidance if you are not sure about the safety/age appropriateness of an activity. All activities on this blog are intended to be performed with adult supervision.  Appropriate and reasonable caution should be used when activities call for the use of materials that could potentially be harmful, such as scissors, or items that could present a choking risk (small items), or a drowning risk (water activities), and with introducing a new food/ingredient to a child (allergies).  Observe caution and safety at all times.  The author and blog disclaim liability for any damage, mishap, or injury that may occur from engaging in any of these activities on this blog.