After seeing so many adorably creative and colorful sensory bin ideas for toddlers all over Instagram, I decided to learn how to make colorful rice myself. If you’re looking for crafts for kids to do at home, brainstorm different sensory play ideas and themes together. I settled on making a bee-themed sensory bin first.

I was actually surprised to find just how easy (and economical) it was to create colorful rice using the stuff I already had in my pantry. I thought it would be good to write up a quick tutorial explaining how to dye rice for sensory bins. So, if you’re looking for crafts for kids to do at home, you, too, can make your own sensory bin for preschoolers. If you ask me, rice is one of the best sensory bin fillers because it’s inexpensive and dries faster than other beans. Rice also takes the food coloring color better than chickpeas. I also love that you can easily customize it by simply dying it in the colors that match your sensory bin theme the best. If you want to give dying garbanzo beans a try, make sure you check out my post on how to dye chickpeas.

 

What Are Sensory Bins?

For those who don’t know, sensory bins use natural play material to promote hands-on learning. Because I grew up in Poland, I didn’t have the opportunity to partake in creative play like this. So these bins are actually kind of new to me, but my son LOVED them as a child. They allowed him to explore, imagine, and create! He still likes helping make the colorful rice and beans with me (and he’s 15 years old now, so that’s saying a lot!) They may get a little messy at times, but that’s part of the fun; just make sure you have a vacuum cleaner handy! Side note: Because the pieces are small, I ALWAYS recommend parental supervision during playtime, especially if you have younger kids.

 

 

What To Put In A Sensory Bin

You can pretty much put anything you want in a sensory bin…the sky’s the limit! I’ve used uncooked rice, different kinds of pasta, chickpeas, beans, and even egg noodles. For my bee-themed sensory bin, I added some cute felt bees I found on Etsy, but you could also throw in some more common crafting objects. I’ve seen sensory bins that use things like cut-up pipe cleaners and those poofy pom pom balls you see at the craft store. You could also include little funnels, scoops, or even spoons for your little ones to use for scooping and sorting.

 

How to Make Colorful Rice

Wondering how to dye rice with food coloring? It’s easy! You can use either white or brown rice. I tested out both of these, and the results seem pretty much the same across the board. You could always add a bit of extra food coloring if you feel the rice isn’t vibrant enough. I used a sandwich-sized plastic zip lock bag to dye the rice. You may want to use a gallon-sized bag if you’re working in large quantities.

 

Materials Needed to Dye Rice

• Uncooked Rice
• Zip Lock Bag
• Vinegar
• Food Coloring

 

 

How to Dye Rice

 

Step 1: Scoop 1 cup of uncooked rice into the zip lock bag.

 

 

Step 2: Add a teaspoon of vinegar and a few drops of food coloring.

 

 

Step 3: Zip up the bag and massage it with your hands to evenly spread the color. This part is fun to do together! Have your little one join in and help you shake up the rice!

 

 

Step 4: Lay the rice out on an old baking sheet or a tray lined with a few layers of paper towels. This way, the paper towel soaks up the moisture while the rice dries.

 

 

Dying the rice takes about 20 min or so, but I recommend letting it dry for at least 24 hours. I find it’s best to allow the rice to dry overnight so it doesn’t stain your little one’s hands or their clothes. Some colors may not take as long to dry, but I prefer going the safer route and waiting a little longer. Better safe than sorry.

 

 

Conclusion

Sensory play ideas are a huge hit with kids of all ages. So if you’re looking for different crafts for kids to do at home, put that expired pantry rice to good use and try coming up with unique sensory bin ideas. Sensory bins for toddlers make the perfect summer activity that provides hours of fun. Not to mention, they’re reusable, colorful, and super easy to set up!

For more bee inspired crafts and products be sure to visit our Howdy Kids monthly subscription box unboxing post.

Feel free to share your ideas for sensory play in the comments below. If you use this tutorial to make your own colorful rice, be sure to tag me @threeyellowstarfish over on Instagram. I’d love to see the sensory bin ideas you and your little ones come up with!