Sensory bins are a great way to entertain kids while giving them input for their senses. There are endless opportunities for fillers, and I recently made my own rainbow sensory rice. It was such a hit with both of my kids that I thought I would share how you can dye rice with food coloring at home.

This DIY project was great for many reasons. It was easy, cheap, and fun! Both my seven-year-old and four-year-old helped dye the rice and they also love playing with the finished product.

Pin me!

Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and even elementary-aged children enjoy sinking their hands into a box or table full of sensory items. The possibilities of materials, fillers, and ideas are endless so I encourage you to try one even if you don’t want to make rainbow rice.

My past sensory bins have included dried macaroni, lentils, or white rice. These are great options that provide tactile input for my daughter with sensory processing disorder. Digging, scooping, and moving small objects helps with fine motor skills. And my kids will actually engage in cooperative play without even realizing it. You don’t have to be fancy to get these benefits.

But since we’re home all the time now, we had the time to add a little creativity to our sensory rice. I bought a five-pound bag of white rice and used ingredients that were already in my pantry for this colorful project. Read on for my recipe on how to dye rice.

How to Dye Rice with Food Coloring

Ingredients:

One 5 lb. bag of long grain white rice
4 Tbsp. white vinegar
4 gallon-sized zip-top bags
¾ tsp. each of four different gel food colors

Steps for dying rice:

First, scoop three cups of dry white rice into each plastic bag. To minimize mess, I recommend doing this on a sheet, towel, or disposable tablecloth. I forgot this step and just swept up the stray grains of rice afterward. To make this step easier for my preschooler, I will dump the bag of rice into a bin first next time to give more room for the measuring cup.

Next, pour one tablespoon of vinegar in each bag. I recommend this mini measuring cup for more control, especially if you are letting your kids help.

Then add three-quarters teaspoon of food coloring to each bag and seal the top well. Then shake the bag up and move the rice around until the rice is evenly dyed.

Note that I used a set of four colors that were in my pantry, but you can use as many or few colors as you wish. The ratio is one teaspoon of vinegar and one-quarter teaspoon of food coloring per cup of rice.

Then spread your rice out on an aluminum-foil lined baking sheet. I added paper towels on top of the foil to absorb excess moisture. Let air dry for a few hours to overnight depending on how well you can spread out the rice and the humidity level.

My daughter loved mixing the different colors of rice together.

After the rice has dried, pour into a bin or bowl for sensory fun. Add small toys, cups, scoops, etc. for more fun. Ours looked just like rainbow sprinkles so I may add birthday candles, magnetic numbers, and silicon cupcake liners in the future for a birthday sensory bin.

I store ours in a clear bin with a lid and spread out a plastic tablecloth on the floor to contain the little pieces that inevitably escape. It is a perfect activity to entertain my kids while I try to get some work done.

Use a clean bin for easy sensory bin storage and play.

Have you made a sensory bin? I’d love to hear your experience learning how to dye rice in the comments below!

You my also like:

10 Best Developmental Toys for Young Children

The Best Potty Training Hack

My Experience with Special Needs Parenting

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.