Tabletop construction site for toddler boys (and girls)

Just thought I'd share one of my 2 yr old's favorite indoor/rainy day activities. Not really a "craft", but easy and fun. It can keep him occupied for over an hour while I work in the kitchen. It's great if your child likes sandboxes and/or toy trucks.

Take a non-breakable container, such as a large shallow rubbermaid box, clean and empty cat litterbox, or a 9 x 13 baking pan, and fill it with 1" to 2" of a scoopable foodstuff like dried beans, rice, etc (preferably something easy to sweep up if spilled and not messy like flour or sand). Add small trucks, like matchbox sized dump trucks or slightly larger one - my son has little bulldozers, backhoes and dumptrucks that are about 4" long each. Seat your child at this and watch the fun. I re-use my "sandbox mix" of dried peas and rice by pouring it into an old pasta jar after use. If you have no trucks, use old non-breakable measuring cups & spoons. My son loves to dig, dump, and push this stuff around over and over.

If your child is young enough to try to eat the rice/beans, I suppose you could try something messier (but safer), like graham cracker crumbs, or maybe rice crispies.