HOW TO MAKE RAINBOW RICE FOR SENSORY PLAY

If you follow me over on Instagram, then you might have noticed that I have been trying to incorporate more DIY activities into our daily routine. My daughter had a rainbow rice sensory table in her preschool classroom this year and loved it! With the help of her teacher’s recipe, I tried to recreate it at home. Who knew it could be so easy to make!

There are a few different recipes I found online, but decided to go with the one her teacher emailed me. I heard if you use vinegar or rubbing alcohol it can smell bad (which is something I don’t want). All you need are a few simple supplies (probably ones you already have) and you will have your rainbow rice sensory bin in no time.

I realize that it can look a bit messy, but when it comes to sensory bins, I love setting them up in the bathtub. That way, all the mess falls into the bathtub, making it much easier to clean. If I do set it up on the dining room table, I love putting a splat mat underneath for an easier clean up. Another good idea is to set them up outside if you have the space.

Let’s break it down…

MATERIALS:

2 bags of uncooked white rice (use the most inexpensive kind)
Food Coloring (I bought this set)
Water
Plastic Bags
Baking Sheet
Parchment Paper or Tin Foil

DIRECTIONS:

1. Put 1-2 cups of rice into different plastic bags. One color per bag so I had a total of 6 bags. I used 1 1/4 cups of rice per bag FYI.
2. Mix 1 tablespoon of water + 15-20 drops of food coloring per bag.
*My food coloring pack came with red, yellow, green, and blue. To make orange I did 10 drops of red + 10 drops of yellow. To make purple I did 10 drops of red + 10 drops of blue.
3. Zip each bag completely and shake up to evenly coat the color on each piece of rice. Get your kids involved. They will have a great time helping and shaking.
* You might need to add another 1/4 teaspoon of water along with a couple more drops of food coloring to get the richness of color you want.
4. Spread the rice out on a baking sheet layered with tin foil or parchment paper and allow to dry overnight.
5. Repeat these steps with each individual bag of rice.
6. Once completely dry, pour all the colors of rice into a small plastic bin and start having fun!

SENSORY BINS:

When it comes to sensory bins, I suggest either getting one large plastic bin or a few of these smaller bins. The batch I made above fit perfectly in one of these bins.

The rice alone is pretty cool, but you might want to add a few other objects to the mix. You can honestly use a lot of stuff you already have lying around your house. The possibilities are truly endless. Below are some ideas: