A rainbow rice sensory bin is a really fun activity for toddlers and preschoolers. There are so many themed activities that you can create from rainbow rice. The ideas are truly limitless!
When I first saw rainbow rice, I instantly thought this activity was not for me. It looked really difficult to make!
But I’m here to tell you that a rainbow rice sensory bin is definitely something that you can do at home.
Contrary to what I had thought, rainbow rice actually quite simple to make. You literally only need 3 ingredients. Plus it keeps littles occupied. That’s a win win in my book!
How to Make a Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin
Let’s talk about the rice first. I get our rice from the dollar store. It’s $1 for about 1 pound of rice, so I don’t feel like I’m wasting expensive rice for a sensory activity!
Materials Need for Rainbow Rice:
- rice (from the dollar store)
- white vinegar
- food coloring
- ziploc bag
Step 1
Place a cup of rice in a ziploc bag (I used the quart size).
Step 2
Add 1 tablespoon of white vinegar into the bag of rice.
Step 3
Add 4-5 drops of food coloring into the bag. Regular food coloring works okay, but for more vibrant-colored rice, gel food coloring is the way to go!
Step 4
Close the bag tightly and then shake the bag to mix up the rice and get it colored throughout. Toddlers and preschoolers can easily get involved in this part! My boys loved helping me 🙂
Step 5
Once all the rice is thoroughly colored, open up the bag and place it on a tray. I lined it with parchment paper to keep it less messy. Let it try completely. Takes about 15 minutes, but I usually let my rice dry overnight so the smell of the vinegar dissipates a bit more.
As you can see in the picture below, the rice is a bit more “clumpy” when it’s not fully dry.
Once it’s fully dry, I break apart those clumps using a spoon or my fingers and then it’s ready!
And That’s It!
Wasn’t that pretty simple? Just repeat with as many colors as you want, and you have made yourself a rainbow rice sensory bin.
How to Use Rainbow Rice Sensory Bins
Depending on the activity, you can either do all the colors of the rainbow for one sensory bin, or you can choose 1 or 2 colors to create a themed sensory bin.
When we first made rainbow rice, I made 5 colors and placed them all in the bin. My boys loooooved mixing up all the colors 🙂
Look how pretty it is mixed all together!
Recently, I’ve also used colored rice for Number Practice, a Lunar New Year sensory bin with upcycled toilet paper rolls, and also a Valentine’s Day sensory bin as well.
And with St. Patrick’s Day and Easter coming up, I’m planning on creating themed sensory bins for those holidays as well.
You see? Rainbow rice can be used in so many different ways!
Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin Video
If you prefer to see a quick video on how to make a rainbow rice sensory bin, make sure to check out my reel on Instagram!
I Hope You Try It Out!
I hope this post encourages you to try making a rainbow rice sensory bin. It’s definitely one of my favorite sensory bins!
I’ll admit it can get a bit messy, but I love how it’s reusable. So I store it away for a few weeks in large ziploc bags, and my boys get so excited when I bring it back out.
If you’ve made a rainbow rice sensory bin, please share your experience below!
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Hi, your Pinterest post says 1 tablespoon vinegar and instagram post says 1 teaspoon. Not sure how critical the volume is for the recipe!
Hi Megan,
Thanks for reaching out, and sorry for the confusion! It’s about 1 tablespoon of vinegar for 1 cup of rice. Hope that helps!
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