With kids under the age of 2 years old, everything is about sensory exploration, and this rainbow sensory bin is a great way for toddlers to use their senses. If you’re SAHM like me, you may run into times where you need to redirect your kids quickly to sometime fun and engaging . Sensory bins have always been a win and that’s why I love putting them together for my boy’s ages, 10 months and 2 years old. I try out different variations all the time and I think it’s fun to put together themed bins. I always get a positive response from both of them and they stay busy for long periods of time!

How Do I Make Rainbow Pasta?

Rainbow pasta is cooked spaghetti noodles, food coloring, and olive oil. How easy is that! Once you’ve cooked your noodles until they are just about done, pull the noodles off the stove and rinse with cold water to remove the excess starch. You will then separate the noodles into plastic sealable bags by how many colors you want. Next, you will add a generous amount of food coloring to each bag as well as a tablespoon of olive oil. Lastly, let the bags sit for about 10 minutes and rinse the noodles one more time to remove any extra dye. Then all the noodles to a bin or tray for your children to enjoy!

*This page contains affiliate links to products I recommend. If you purchase something from this page, I may receive a small percentage of the sale at no extra cost to you.

What Does This Sensory Bin Focus On?

This rainbow pasta sensory bin is a simple activity but your child is actually using a lot of stimulation while doing it! They are using every single one of their senses to explore and learn. You will find a list below with what your child may be learning during this sensory play idea :

• Senses (taste + touch + smell + sight + hearing) Yes, even hearing is included in this because you may be talking to your child about the different things like the textures, what the noodles smell and taste like and different colors they see.
• Fine Motor Skills Using their fingers to grasp the noodles, if they are an older toddler.
• Gross Motor Skills Using their whole hands to grab the noodles if they are a younger toddler developing those muscles.
• Social Skills Playing with you as a parent, or sibling, or friend, your child is working on their social skills while they play and talk about what they see.

Some Things You Can Talk About During This Pasta Sensory Bin

• What does the pasta feel like? Is it sticky or wet? Dry or hard?
• What does it taste like? Is it salty or sweet? Crunchy or chewy?
• What colors do they see? How many?
• Can they grab lots with there whole hands? Can they grab one noodle at a time with just two fingers?

I chose to do this activity on a large sheet because my 9-month-old can not sit at the table to reach the container quite yet. This is most definitely one of my favorite activities for my boys, and I love that they can do “taste safe” activities together. Check out my “Taste Safe” Play-Dough Recipe, and “Edible Paint” recipe for more taste safe activities.

Since both my boys are at ages where activities have become part of our day, I’ve been inspired to share what my kids like to do at this age and what I enjoy putting together for them. Sensory exploration is important in the early years for many reasons and it’s also really fun for your kids.

Rainbow Pasta Sensory Bin Directions and Materials

Materials List

1. Spaghetti Noodles
2. Food Coloring
3. Gallon Plastic Bags
4. Vegetable Oil

Directions

1. Boil your noodles like you would prepare them to eat. You want to remove your noodles when they are just slightly underdone. This helps the noodles stay firm so your kids can still play with them without falling apart. Once you pull the noodles off, drain and rinse with cool water immediately to remove excess starch.
2. Separate your noodles into zip lock bags (Divide depending on how many colors you want) and add a generous amount of food coloring as well as 1/2 Tablespoon of vegetable oil into each bag. (Have your kids help you squish around the bags and watch the noodles change colors!)
3. Let the noodles sit for 10-15 minutes then rinse them off and put it into a container to play.

Thanks for taking the time to read! Its always appreciated and if you loved this blog make sure to share on Pinterest and Facebook and be sure to tag me on Instagram if you do this with your own children! Subscribe by email below to get weekly updates on new activities and crafts and sometimes FREE giveaways!