Rainbow Chickpeas: A Sensory Invitation

 The Joy of a Chaotic Moment

Sometimes, the best kind of play is the kind that starts with a bin of potential and ends with a floor covered in chickpeas.

On this particular day, our invitation was simple: a sensory bin containing brightly dyed chickpeas in every color of the rainbow — red, yellow, blue, green, and purple. Alongside the bin, I gave the children an assortment of measuring cups, spoons, plastic paint palettes, toy pots, cups, and a couple of small juice jugs. Nothing fancy. Nothing directed. Just open-ended provocation for the children to follow their mighty learner instincts

And did they ever.

There was pouring, 

sorting, 

scooping, 

tipping, stirring, 

measuring, 

pretending, 
tasting... almost!

negotiating, 

laughing, 

spilling, 

gathering,

and

sprinkling. 

In their imaginary little worlds, they created soup, cookies, and cakes. They carefully sorted the beans by color into the wells of the paint pallets. They filled the pink pot over and over again, creating the most marvelous tinkling sound. They made potions with intense concentration. They shared scoops with friends. When the chickpeas spilled onto the floor, as they inevitably do, there was a moment, a brief one, where chaos reigned. Then they just kept playing. Clean-up will eventually happen, but not until the chaos ebbs.

Through the Lens of FLIGHT

This simple provocation opened the door to so many learning possibilities through Alberta FLIGHT Framework:

Playing and Playfulness: The children's joy was tangible as they giggled over the sounds of chickpeas clinking into metal pots or mimicked grown-up baking rituals. Their play was spontaneous, imaginative, and entirely their own. Their number one goal was just exploration and delight.

Seeking: Curiosity led the way. They tested how many scoops it would take to fill a cup, how full they could make a pot before it overflowed, and how to separate red from purple. They explored volume, texture, sound, and color all through self-directed inquiry.

Participating: Social dynamics were buzzing. Children offered each other tools, helped form colored piles together, negotiated turns, and shared imaginary recipes. Play became a collaborative language that fostered belonging and communication.

Persisting: When chickpeas fell, they were gathered again. When one pallet tipped, it was refilled. When tools weren't quite right for the job, the children adapted. There was a quiet determination in the air, problem-solving in every scooping motion.

Caring: Care was expressed in the attention children gave to their creations, in the way they helped friends gather spilled peas, in their willingness to work alongside one another in the shared space, and in their willingness to clean the mess when the play was over. The materials were respected even when they were scattered.

Seizing the Chaos

There's something powerful about leaning into the mess, about letting go of control and trusting that meaningful learning often looks like noise, color, and just a little bit of mayhem.

As adults, it can be tempting to curate neat experiences with tidy outcomes. This moment reminded me that real learning is often unscripted. It's found in the middle of the floor, surrounded by runaway chickpeas, when no one is directing the play and everyone is deeply immersed in it.

So yes, we made a mess.

Yes, I will be finding chickpeas in odd corners for days.

However, we found joy, wonder, connection, and creativity.

I'll take that every time.