Rainbow Rice

Kids are all about exploring the world through their senses. Just ask my 9 month old.

Granted she wouldn't answer with words, but I think you'd get her point when she began attempting to taste-test your face after you had asked.

Since winter is coming and our favorite source of sensory play (the beloved $2-garage-sale sandbox) is on hiatus, we tried something new... and colorful: rainbow rice!

 

 

6 cups of white rice (the cheap stuff will do)

food coloring

rubbing alcohol

Ziploc bags

 

Preheat oven to 200 degrees F.

Pour about 1 tablespoon of the rubbing alcohol and a few drops of food coloring in whatever shade you want. Swish a bit to mix.

Nifty tip: if you use gel food coloring (as I do), turn the bag inside out and use your finger to swipe up some gelicious color. Carefully turn the bag right-side-out and then pour in your rubbing alcohol. Easy peasy!

 

 Add one cup of rice to colorful alcohol, squeeze out all the air, seal the bag WELL (you can double bag, as an extra precaution), and let your little one go to town shaking, squeezing and swishing the rice until all the grains are colored.

 

Repeat steps 1 through 3 with all the colors of the rainbow.

 To dry the rice, spread it out on foil-lined cookie sheets and bake for 20 minutes or so, stirring a couple of times to make sure all the alcohol is evaporated.

Let rice cool, then dump in a plastic bin and let the kids go nuts.

 

My daughter LOVES her rainbow rice. She loves measuring and scooping and running her hands through it. And while it can be a bit messy, the hours of fun she's had playing with her rice is more than worth the quick sweeping after play time.