How to Dye Rice for Sensory Play
Little kids love getting their hands dirty. Give them something fun to dig into and learn How to Dye Rice for Sensory Play. A colorful way to play!
Little kids love digging in and getting their hands dirty. They also love bright colors. Have some rainy day fun enjoying both. Learn how to dye rice for sensory play. This is perfect for an inside “sand box”, a fun way to learn colors, and great for kids that need the extra sensory play.
How to Dye Rice
Materials:
- Plain uncooked white rice
- Watercolor paints in rainbow colors (food coloring may be substituted)
- Bin to hold rice
Directions:
- Divide your rice into 6 bags – one for each color of the rainbow (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple). Add a small amount of paint to each bag. Close the bag and shake until the rice is completely coated. If there is any white rice left, add another splash of paint to the bag and repeat the process.
- Once all the bags of rice have been colored, allow the rice to dry in open air for a couple of hours (or overnight).
- One option for the drying process is to lay the rice on a baking sheet. To keep the colors separated, create little foil “boats” to pour each color of the rice in and gently spread the rice out. This keeps the colors separated and still allows it to get some air to dry quicker. Also, it’s easy to simply pick up each foil packet and gently pour it into the bin when you’re ready. Just make sure to pour one color at a time in a straight vertical line to keep the colors separate initially for the rainbow effect.
Notes:
- Place cups, shovels, stirrers, small toys, etc. in the bin. Kids can bury the items, pour from shovels into cups, etc.
- You could even add a little essential oil in the bags in the initial stages of creating the rice if you want to create scented rice.
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