Making Sensory Rice

I have heard so much about Sensory play and we decided to make sensory rice for our tactile/sensory play activities. I only had really good quality rice in the house so I ended up using Orzo (Italian barley; shaped like a grain of rice) for the Sensory table. Here is what we did...

Materials

• Vinegar (I have a bottle set aside for science experiments or crafts)
• An assortment of Liquid food colors
• Orzo or rice
• A Jar with a lid (use plastic if your kids are mixing)
• A tray
• Wax Paper

NOTE: This recipe uses vinegar and food color and instead of rice I used Orzo. The only problem I had with the Orzo was that it was very sticky. So after my kids had mixed the Orzo in a jar with a closed lid, I had to use my gloved hands to mix the colors well and separate the pasta on the tray. I left one set of colors to dry by themselves just to test the results and they were all stuck together. Then I had to break them up with my hands.

© Everything Family Guide 

The Process
We put a cup of Orzo in a jar and then added 1 tbsp of Vinegar and a few drops of food color (depends on how dark/light you want your sensory materials to be; more color=brighter result). We repeated the process for all colors, making sure to clean the jar of any residue.  We ended up using a jar with a lid, instead of the cups. My preschooler helped me with all of the mixing process.  After mixing, I used gloved hands to separate the Orzo and then I laid them out on a tray with wax paper, to dry. It dried in a few hours as it's very dry in our city but I would leave it overnight, if your area is humid.  The end result was purposeful!

© Everything Family Guide

© Everything Family Guide

The Final Result
Some of the Orzo did break but they served the purpose of making useful sensory materials. Below is a picture of the final result and my kids playing with the Sensory Orzo!

© Everything Family Guide

© Everything Family Guide