This is simply one of my favourite easy toddler sensory bin activities for my 2 year old and 4 year old that requires very little prep time, and it the clean up is easy too! It all starts with regular rice, some food colouring, vinegar, and a few paper plates – you can find the original rainbow rice recipe here. Keep reading below for popular questions about rainbow rice!
The prep time for the rainbow rice is 10 minutes (I made a double batch of the original recipe), and then the wait time for the final product is 1 hour.
This bin is amazing and I can’t wait for warmer weather where I can put it into our sensory table outside (click here for our transformed deck with kids sensory bin table)!
We go by Susie’s rice sensory bin rules A) don’t eat the rice, and B) don’t throw the rice. And even for my 2 year old, these simple rules make having a sensory bin easier.
I received a couple questions about the rainbow rice when I showed it on Instagram, so I wanted to answer them here where you can pin or save this post if you need to refer to them in the future!
Is the rainbow rice sensory bin quick to set up?
Yes! Aside from the actual making of the rainbow rice (Approximately an hour), setting up and putting the sensory bin away is simple pouring it out and pouring it back into a giant ziplock! There are usually some random rainbow rice on the ground around the bin but it’s simply vacuumed up.
What bin are you using to hold the rainbow rice?
This bin is from IKEA, it was included with our Farmer Daughter Workshop sensory table! But you can find it at IKEA. This size is awesome if you have two or more kids, they can sit at opposite ends of the bin and not bother each other.
My 2 year old can get very possessive of the amount of rice or amount of measuring tools she has, so I find it best to keep them at opposite ends of the sensory bin.
What measuring tools do you put in the sensory bin?
It seems wild but I give them glass canning jars, old coffee containers, plastic measuring cups, funnels, and measuring spoons. The funnels are both my 2 year olds and 4 year olds favourites! Click each link to find the exact products we use with the rainbow rice sensory bin.
What age is the best for playing independently with rainbow rice?
It depends on your kid! I was finally able to leave Adeline, my 2 year old, alone with the rainbow rice when she reached 2 1/2 years old (but she’s a bit of a firecracker). Though you will not know if your child is ready until you try! The worst thing that can happen is that you need to put it away and wait for a bit – eventually your child will be ready!
Rainbow rice is amazing! I like to add animals, Duplo LEGO blocks, mini figurines, and more – anything to encourage them to learn through play and feel different textures with the rainbow rice sensory bin.
What’s stopping you from making your own easy toddler sensory bin? What other ways do you use rainbow rice at home?
If you like this post, check out my 10 Things Every Parent Needs When Flying With A Toddler post before you go!
Make sure you pin this post on Pinterest so you can come back to it later!
