Here, B is scooping rice. Easy - 2 big bowls, bag of rice, various scoops, and something to catch fallen rice for easy dumping/vacuuming.
Another option is small bowls with some spoons to practice spooning:
And if you're really brave, you can try this:
An oatmeal table.
The table is a water/sand table from Lakeshore. The height is adjustable, so it can grow with your child. This one is at my mom's house, and she has changed out the contents so he can explore different materials. First, she poured oatmeal in for him to explore. Next, she filled it with colored rice (shout out to my dad for taking the time to help her dye the rice). And the latest I saw was (store brand) colored fruity cereal that comes in the big bag. All of the items are food related and small enough that if he decides to eat it, he won't choke. So far, though (knock on wood), the only time he tried to eat it was when my husband told him the oatmeal was food. (He promptly spit it out!)
They do sell a lid for the table, so you can close off the contents. However, my parents did not buy that right away. A quick solution? Cut one of the LARGE sides from the box the table comes in, and it slips over the top like a shoe box lid would fit on a shoe box. It's not air/bug tight for long term storage, but it worked since my parents usually change out the contents between visits/every few days.
The bonus skills acquired?
1. B very nicely scoops and pours dog food, too! So he feeds our dog whenever the chance presents itself. He even picks up any pieces of food he spills out of the bowl. Bet you didn't think one-and-a-half-year-olds had chores, did you?!
2. B's love of vacuuming and sweeping has grown, so he enjoys trying to sweep his messes up with the big broom or a small broom/dustpan set. Of course, it usually makes a bigger mess, but it's the process, not the product, that matters!
Have fun!
