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One of my favorite projects is the Bean Box.
It is a favorite of mine because my children love it.
It is easy, inexpensive and can occupy your little ones for quite some time.
The Bean Box came to be a staple in my home after a visit by my Parents as Teachers Educator. (What is Parents as Teachers? Click here to find out.) When she arrived, she pulled out a big Rubbermaid container,like a 10 gallon box 
, that was about a quarter full of all kinds of dry beans – pinto, kidney, lima, and black-eyed peas. She had measuring cups and scoops of all sizes in it, and different containers like empty yogurt cups, metal cake pans, and small cardboard boxes. The one key ingredient was a large vinyl tablecloth that she spread on the ground first. It catches any escaping beans and you can pick it up and funnel the beans back into the box at the end.
She opened the box and invited my daughter, Katie (who was about 18 months by then – past the “put everything in my mouth” stage) to sit down at the side of it, lean over and play in it like a sandbox. Katie was fascinated by it, and so was I. Afterwards, I went out and bought a bunch of dried beans and a Rubbermaid container and a tablecloth. I saved yogurt cups and formula scoops and whatever other fun things I could think of.
Katie and I had a blast with our Bean Box. Now she is four and a half years old, and the Bean Box is still going strong. There are days I look forward to playing in it too. It’s like my own little Zen garden. There’s something calming and soothing about pushing the chilly little beans around, scooping them up, and letting them fall wherever.
To make your own Bean Box, you need:
A container of some sort (I use a 10 gallon Rubbermaid container)
All kinds of dry beans – pinto, kidney, lima and black-eyed peas
Measuring cups
Scoops of all sizes (be creative…you can use empty yogurt cups, metal cake pans, small cardboard boxes)
A large vinyl table cloth
Click on this link to learn more about the National Parents as Teachers Program
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'Enjoy' Expert, Elizabeth Koziatek is defined by a number of things. She is a wife to Dan, and has been for 12 amazing years. She is a self-proclaimed GRIT (Girl Raised In The South). 
She is a graduate of the University of Missouri (Go Mizzou!). She has worked in television, in ministry, and even in the insurance industry. She is now sharing her creative joy with ExtraordinaryMommy.com by giving you new ways to “ENJOY” time with your children.
Despite all the titles above, the thing that most defines Elizabeth is her job as a mom. She is a mother to two beautiful children – Katie is 4 ½ and Jackson is 9 months. Elizabeth worked outside the home for Katie's first two years and then decided to stay home. Her proudest moments in life have come in the past few years as she has tackled a number of things she never thought she'd be able to do: she survived her first year as a mommy, she managed to nurse both children, and has handled the loss of family members with more grace than she thought possible.
Elizabeth says her favorite thing about being a mommy is the chance it gives her to see the world with new eyes again…it's an opportunity to act like a kid and revel in her children's accomplishments – whether she is watching Katie as she learns to write or the seeing the joy of Jackson's “So Big!”.
This mother of two has found new and amazing ways to be creative with her children. Sometimes she is making toys for them. Sometimes she is creating new games to nurture their learning process. We are excited to share Elizabeth 's creativity with you.
