Finding "Buried Treasure" in the Sand

Lexi wanted to go to the park today and play in the sand, but it was such a gloomy, cold, rainy morning that I decided the park was not the greatest idea. Well, me saying, "Not today, Lexi" made her so sad. So, I decided we could play in the "sand" indoors. I explained the plan to Lexi and when she was satisfied we set up. I poured a bunch of dry beans and rice into my cake pan, gave her a bunch of measuring cups and utensils and told her to play in the sand. She has done this activity before and loved it and today was no exception. This activity kept her entertained for 45 minutes! It was nice to see her focus on one thing for that amount of time. Halfway through, she asked if I would bury some of her toys for her to find. I thought that was a great idea, so I did. She loved this!!! She was so proud everytime she pulled them up out of the beans and rice mixture. Oh, it was a good compromise for sure.