R is for Rice and Rainbow Sensory Fun

In the past we have had some fun with rice in our sensory tub. One day I decided to make Rainbow Rice.  I followed the instructions for dyeing noodles. I took 6 bowls and poured 1 cup of rice into each one. 

Next I found it was easier to mix 1 tsp of rubbing alcohol with 5-6 drops of the desired food coloring, then mix it into the rice. Then we stirred. 

We set it outside on cookie sheets covered with wax paper until it dried.  

One of the first things we made was a rainbow rice "r." All I did was trace the r with white glue and the girls sprinkled some rice, one color at a time in the order of the rainbow, onto the glue.

Then we poured our rainbow of rice into the white rice in our sensory tub.

The girls swirled it around and mixed it in.

Then they played in it. 

(Yes, this was a while ago.)

They love playing with their construction vehicles in the rice.

Another fun sensory experience was making Rainbow Stew (no, it is not edible).

I found this idea on about.com under Family Crafts.

Materials Needed:

• 1/3 cup sugar
• 1 cup corn starch
• 4 cups water
• Food Coloring

Instructions:
Mix together all of the ingredients in a sauce pan. Stir constantly and heat until the mixture begins to thicken. Remove from heat and let cool.

Divide the mixture into three bowls. Add a different color of food coloring to each bowl. Put approximately three tablespoon of each color into a zip-lock bag. Seal the bag and tape the top closed.

Knead the baggie to mix colors just enough to look like a rainbow. Lay bag down on a hard surface and gently press to flatten it. You can hang it in your window when finished. You can also just play with it and see wht happens to all of the colors!

For more color mixing rainbow fun we played with colored ice cubes. 

We used only the primary colors to dye the water in each compartment of the ice cube tray.

After it was frozen, I put about an inch of hot water in our tub.

We used two colors at a time to see them mix and make the secondary colors as we swirled them around. This would be a great activity for a hot day, come to think of it. 

After the ice cubes were melted and the color was mixed I dumped the water and we started again.