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Colored Rice & Noodles

I love sensory play! There are so many different ideas on Pinterest. There is no right or wrong way creating a sensory activity. The best part is, you usually have everything in your home OR it’s super cheap to pick up the few items you may need.

One of our favorite sensory activities is playing with colored rice.

This is normally an outdoor activity for us. We did the rice sensory play inside once and well … it was a mess! I was still vacuuming rice up a month later! I know some lay down a large towel or tablecloth to “catch” the rice and that works for them. My son likes to get a little wild, so we keep it as an outdoor activity 🙂

Noodles are great to dye also. You can use them for sorting, making necklaces, throw in a large bin, and more. It is SUPER easy to dye everything at once. You could also dye oats and sand, but I chose to just stick to rice and noodles today. This entire process was about 30 minutes long and it could even take less time, if you have kiddos to help!

30

  1. Place your noodles and rice into gallon bags. Just eyeball a good amount. I put about 3 cups of rice into each bag and about 2 cups of noodles in each bag. 
  2. Place about 2-3 Tablespoons of alcohol into the bags.
  3. Squirt 2-3 drops of food coloring. You may want to add more in a bit.
  4. Seal the bags. Make sure they are sealed well or it will be a mess!
  5. Begin shaking! This is where the kids can help.
  6. If the colors are not bright enough for you, add more food coloring.
  7. You can now open the bags and let them dry out, or spread onto parchment paper. I keep them sealed overnight, then let them dry out the next morning. This allows the color to sit a bit longer.
  8. HAVE FUN!

Check out my other fun sensory activities and ideas!

  1. Red Activity Box
  2. Fall Sensory Bin
  3. Sensory Board

Erupting Sidewalk Chalk

I want to share a fun activity Monte and I did last week … Erupting Sidewalk Chalk

We had so much fun making a mess and painting on our patio outside. I came across this site for the recipe.

Ingredients & Directions (per color)

  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/4 cup baking soda
  • Add coloring
  • 1/4 – 1/2 cup of water
  • Mix

When adding the water to the mixture, make sure to add it slow. I used 1/2 a cup and I think it wasn’t thick enough. I would start with 1/4 cup and then add more if you want. You want it to be thicker so it’s more like paint.

I decided to just make three colors, but you could make any and however many colors you want! You can also add glitter to the paint, and/or scents. You can also use whatever items you want, to paint with. Get creative! I had a couple of apples that were going bad, so I cut them in half, and placed a popsicle stick in them to paint with.

Monte had a blast!

After you are finished painting your masterpiece! Place vinegar in a squirt bottle and begin squirting your artwork. It will begin to fizz and bubble! I think that was Monte’s favorite part!

I definitely recommend this activity! I love how simple it is to put together, easy clean up (the rain will wash it away), and you can change up what you paint with and what colors you paint with!

Have you tried using Erupting Sidewalk Chalk before?

Heat Wave

Man it’s been a hot one here in the Midwest! It has been 100 degrees or there about everyday, for over a week and I am tired of it! Monte and I have not been able to go outside much due to the hotness.

Saturday we stopped by the Dallas Center Fall Festival. Due to the scorching temperatures a lot of the events and activities were cancelled. We did stop to see the Balloon Dude, saw a real owl AND enjoyed some homemade ice cream and baked goodies from the local Methodist church.

Dallas Center Fall Festival

Sunday we decided to try and cool off in our pool. Monte always enjoys swimming!

I also created a shady oasis for him in the backyard. He loves to play with his water and sand toys! We only stayed out for a little bit though, before we needed to go in to cool off and get re-hydrated.

Remember! 

1. Stay hydrated! Drink lots and lots of water. I have been guilty the past few days with not keeping up with my water intake and you can definitely tell a difference when you don’t get enough water.

2. Freeze fruit! This makes an awesome snack for yourself and the kiddos.

3. Do NOT turn your oven on! I turned my oven on the other day to make some kiddie sized pizzas (I will be sharing later) and the temperature rose like 5 degrees in my house. Avoid the oven and stove. Eat sandwiches, salads, etc.

4. Running out of things to do with your kiddos? Here are some awesome indoor ideas around the metro.

What have you been doing to keep cool and stay busy during this heat wave?