Colored Rice Sensory Box

Yesterday I set about making a sensory box for Miss Lia. She has been cooped up in the house due to really hot weather and now our house is being painted. Sooo in a pursuit not to go absolutely bonkers inside, I worked on this box. Here's how it went down...

First I gathered up these things: rice, 1 cup measure, a tablespoon, a plastic 'craft' bowl (this is not time for your good china), a metal spoon, good quality food coloring (more about later), wax paper (again more later), and paper towel in large quantity.

First get to mixing each batch of colors. I used 2 tbs of water, a healthy plop of food coloring, and a cup plus a bit of rice. It is pretty important to use a wilton/americolor type food coloring. The cheap-o stuff will be too wet, too runny (even if it says gel on the box!) and not dye your rice in anything close to a vibrant color. Now mixy mixy mixy, throw it on paper towel to dry. Here's where I realized the importance of wax paper. See the food coloring will soak through all 5 paper towels you put underneath. Thus the teeny tiny light red stain on my countertop. So I put waxed paper underneath. Don't tell David!

After you've let your rice get really dry...several hours to overnight...you can dump it in a bowl. Mine was definitely a rice patty...so I had to break it up. Below is a picture of my rice all mixed. No it's not fruity pebbles.

Lastly, throw in some toys. We recently went to the zoo, so I've been trying to piggy back on this and used plastic animals. You could use any plastic type toy. Letters, shapes, etc. I recommend putting the playmat down so you can save a little bit of what will get on the floor...because it will. Especially if your child is like mine and decides that she should throw the rice in the air and perhaps stick her foot in it!