Have you ever made coloured rice? It is so easy and great fun to play with too!
Oh this was a hit! And so many ways to play with!
But first how to color rice. Easy!
Ingredients:
– 4 cups of white rice
– 4 tablespoons of vinegar
– food coloring (I chose pink, because Lella loves it, and to fit into our spring theme)
– packets of powder colddrink (I used 3, but the smell was only faint, could use more, or try another brand perhaps?)
Steps:
– Mix the vinegar and food coloring and powder(if you use it at all)
– Mix with the rice, making sure all is colored
– Place on a baking tray, I lined it with wax paper first, makes clean up easier
– Then I used my oven on the fan setting, no heat, for an hour so the rice can dry, stirring it once halfway through, but you can leave it to dry by itself overnight.
Ready to play with!
Here are a few ideas:
1) We first had a feel for it, just the rice without any items. Sensory play at its best!
2) Then we used some measuring spoons and cups for scooping and more exploration
Brother could fit inside the “skottel”, as we call it in Afrikaans (no idea what the English word is). He was a bit excited and made a lovely mess. I put his dummy in his mouth, that way he doesn’t even bother to try and eat the rice.
3) I got a few flowers and butterfly items out and we played with that, hiding them and finding them again under the rice, counting and sorting them.
4) We played the rice were the cupcakes and the flowers etc. the decorations
5) Imaginary food play
6) Made shakers, different amount of rice in each to see if it sounds different.
7) Made a Discovery bottle, lovely to use as a cool down tool when she has one of her “meltdowns”, or quite activity, travel activity etc.
8) Made a “rain stick” bottle (used spaghetti and the rice, what a lovely sound!) Also good for cooling down;)
9) Shaker balloons (baby loves this, although one has to watch him closely for it could be hazardous)
10) Sensory balloons- fill the balloon with the rice, but don’t blow it up. Stress reliever!
11) Exploring sticky tape and rice…
12) Giving our dough a different texture…
13) And finally, some Arts & Crafts
A photo frame
A flower-thingie;)
Her name written in glue, and then sprinkling the rice on.
This was really awesome! You have to try it for yourselves. Next time I’m making different colours and will try to do more scents.
*Update*
I made these colours and used it during our preschool theme Celebrations, pretending it to be cupcakes, rice we throw at a wedding etc.great fun!
Check in soon for more fun and playful activities!
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