How To Color Rice For Sensory Play

Sensory bins are incredibly magical. The possibilities for what you can include and what your cuties can create is limitless! After becoming comfortable with sensory bins and making them a regular part of our play, I wanted to make things a bit more exciting! I thought a great place to start was by adding some color to our play bases.

Rice is a favorite sensory bin base in our house, so it seemed like the perfect material to color. Believe it or not, coloring rice is actually really simple! The best part is that you can use any color you want and can dye a small batch or a large one. And, my preschooler was actually able to help me!

Related: Have a kiddo going into Kindergarten? I’ve got you covered! Help them go into the school year with confidence!

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Materials

• Rice
• Food coloring
• Vinegar
• Plastic gallon Ziploc bags
• Parchment paper
• Baking trays

Related: Need some enriching entertainment while the kids are home? Check out our Digital Ready To Go Activity Pack!

How To

1. Measure your rice – You’ll want to start by measuring out your rice and pouring it in the plastic bags. I chose to do 2 cups in each bag and to create a total of 8 different colors!

2. Prep your colors – Now, get your colors prepped. If, for example, you do not have orange food coloring but want to make orange rice, grab a small bowl and mix red and yellow until you get your desired color. Just be sure to mix any colors before they go into the rice bag or you’ll have 2 separate colors instead of the one color you desired.

The Formula: 1 Tablespoon vinegar to 1 cup of rice

3. Color it – Place 1 Tablespoon vinegar for each 1 cup of rice in your first rice bag then add some generous squirts of food coloring. It takes quite a bit to get a vibrant color. You may use up to half of your food coloring container on one bag depending on how bright you want the color!

4. Shake it – Zip that bag up (make sure it is tight!) and get shaking! This is where my Preschooler hopped in. I gave him the sealed bags and he shook them up for me. Be sure to turn the bag a few times as you shake to coat the rice evenly.

5. Touch it up – If you want a more vibrant color, open the bag and add more food coloring. Continue adding until you are pleased with the color!

6. Repeat steps 3 – 5 with each new color.

7. When all of the rice is evenly coated, pour it out onto your lined baking trays to dry. Mix it up with a spoon to break up any clumps as they dry.

It dries pretty quickly (within an hour or so), however, I would recommend leaving it overnight to be sure you don’t end up with any food color stained hands!

Related: Now that you have colored rice, try out this sensory bin to keep your kiddos entertained!

Enjoy!

This has to be one of the simplest DIY projects that you could possibly do for your kids! And the play that will take place with this rice is absolutely amazing!

Related: Did you enjoy coloring this rice? Check out how to color chick peas here!

My favorite set up with this rainbow rice was simply setting it out in a wooden bowl with some scoops and small bowls. The kids played for hours and their imaginations just ran wild! An easy peasy sensory bin!

The best part about rainbow rice is that once it is dyed, it can last for years! (As long as you keep it in a sealed bag or container!) Take 10 minutes now to whip up a large batch and it can be used in sensory play for the next 12+ months!

Try dying rice for holidays, party favors, small world landscapes and so much more! The possibilities are endless!

Looking for some great sensory bin set ups now that you have a beautiful base? Check out our extremely popular How To Create a Sensory Bin post for some great inspiration!