There are tons of food-coloring activities to make sensory play more fun for our little ones. There are also tons of food coloring options to choose from, so which one is the best? Here is my list of favorite food coloring options for every type of sensory play activity you create.
Best for bright colors
Color right food coloring (available on Amazon) is the best for getting true, bright colors that pop for any sensory activity. All you need is one or two drops to get amazing colors like these. The hues are true to the rainbow, and the box includes additional colors such as brown and black.
Best food coloring for edible recipes
When it comes to edible sensory play, some people might be hesitant to use regular food coloring. After a while of doing lots of sensory play with it, I did too. As I started looking for other options, I found a vegan food coloring brand that people really liked.
The colors are paler than those of other food coloring, but you get the benefit of being more natural.
After doing more research into vegan food coloring options, I found that TruColor (available on Amazon) is a favorite among vegans for their food, so I would think it is safe to say this is a good recommendation.
Best for color variety
Most food coloring boxes come in the three primary colors and green. What if you want pink or purple? Then you would need to experiment by putting a few drops here and there.
One of my first food coloring sets and my favorite is the Nomeca brand set (found on Amazon). It comes in 12 colors. The tones are so beautiful, and the price is perfect!
Best for bright neon colors
Neon colors are so much fun to play with! You don’t have to make special mixes, and the McCormick neon box is all you need! Just add a few drops, and you are good to go!
Learn how to make this colorful rice for sensory play here
Best for little hands
If you are doing a sensory play activity where you want your toddler to participate in adding the color, the McCormick neon colors or regular food coloring bottles are perfect.
We all know toddlers would pour the whole thing if they could! These little food coloring bottles are a perfect size and are harder to squeeze than other food coloring bottles I have purchased. As they squeeze, they only get a few drops at a time, making it perfect for toddler participation.
The best natural alternative to food dyes
A surefire way to avoid artificial food dyes is to make your own natural versions using ingredients from your kitchen. There are so many beautiful hues in food, so why not use them? Especially if you are going to be doing edible-safe activities.
Many fruits and vegetables come in powdered form, but you can make your own by buying freeze-dried fruits and vegetables and pulverizing them to a fine powder in a food processor or spice grinder.
Another way to make natural food dye is to make a concentrated liquid. The liquid can be pure juice, a strained purée, or water-based: If you have a juicer, use it. It produces the purest liquid that you can reduce to the proper consistency.
Boil your ingredient of choice, then use the remaining water as your stain. Food52 recommends the following ingredients to achieve each color.
- Pink: strawberries, raspberries
- Red: beets, tomato
- Orange: carrots, paprika, sweet potato
- Yellow: saffron, turmeric
- Green: matcha, spinach
- Blue: red cabbage + baking soda
- Purple: blueberries, purple sweet potato
- Brown: coffee, tea, cocoa
- Black: activated charcoal, squid ink
Final Thoughts on Best Food Coloring for Sensory Play
Using food coloring, either store-bought or natural, is a great way to bring more fun into learning through play activities. Vibrant, rich colors are appealing, so the activity will be more engaging for your little one.
If you are making an edible-safe activity because your little one still puts things in her mouth, then go for vegan or homemade, preferably. If you are not concerned about your little one ingesting these, then you have more options, from hues to vibrant, rich colors, all the way to neons.
No matter what you choose, have fun!