Eye Spy Jar
STEM Concepts: Science (observation) Math (counting objects) Engineering (Figuring out how to manipulate object to find treasures)
Materials: A clear empty bottle with a lid, rice or beans or birdseed, super glue, little objects that can fit into the bottle top. (puff balls, marbles, buttons, a small toy animal, etc.)
What to do: Fill the bottle with a small amount of rice, beans or birdseed, then add some of the small pieces, add some more rice and repeat until you’ve added all of the small items into the bottle. Do not fill the bottle completely! Put a small amount of super glue on the inside of the cap and screw the cap on. Allow the glue sometime to completely seal. Now you have a noise maker and a Find It Bottle! Encourage your child to find the things you’ve hidden in the rice. NOTE: This contains small objects that a child could choke on. Please do not leave your child unattended with the Find It bottle.
Language and Communication: Talk to your toddler about the objects he 
finds. Name each object, count them, take about their color, what they are used for and what they might feel like against his skin. Talk about the direction that your toddler turns the bottle “You are holding it upside down now and the rice is falling down.” This helps to teach her directionality words and spatial skills.
Expand the Activity: You could also use it as a shaker and find the rhythm in music. Play along to Love Notes songs! Shake the shaker to talk about the sounds it makes.