Chickpeas are a great sensory material to use on sensory bins for sensory play. Just a few materials and 30 minutes you can go from preparing to playing!
Playing with chickpeas feel very different than playing with colored rice or even beans yet they absorb and reflect the same vibe and color you get with colored rice.
Chickpeas are also very affordable and once they are colored they last a long time. They are great for sensory play even when they are not colored like this set up below.
You can mix them and save them in ziplock bags or plastic bins and reuse them and take them out at every season!
Are chickpeas a choking hazard for babies?
Yes. chickpeas are a choking hazard for babies and toddlers that still mouth things. Whole cooked or uncoocked chickpeas are a choking hazard because they are round and firm. To reduce the choking risk with chickpeas, flatten cooked chickpeas between your fingers and discard any skins that slip off.
This recipe should only be played with by babies and toddlers that no longer put things in their mouth and under adult supervision.
As an alternative to this recipe if your baby still put things in his mouth, you can do our edible waterbeads that are taste-safe and a lot of fun!
How To make Colored chickpeas Recipe
The recipe below has a fall feeling because of the colors I used. I did a combination of colors usually found in fall decorations. I chose yellow, orange, red and brown.
Want Rainbow happy colors? Repeat the coloring process for each of the 6 colors of the rainbow like this.
How to Dye Colorful Chickpeas Quickly
There are different techniques to dye chickpeas. I have seen tutorials with watercolor paint, acrylic paint and other toxic less safe to the mouth technique.
I always opt in for safer ingredients because I know our little ones are explorers and like to put things in their mouth just for good measure!
I like to dye my sensory bin fillers with a really good brand of food coloring. Also, food coloring dried faster than if you use watercolor or other paint.
So let’s get started! Grab tour supplies and let’s go!
What You Need:
- dried chickpeas (garbanzo beans that come in a bag not a candy)
- liquid food coloring (These are a little pricey compare to there but you only need one drop at a time to get vibrant colors)
- white vinegar
- zip-lock bags
- Aluminum paper
Ingredients
- Raw Chickpeas
- Food coloring
- Vinegar
- large Ziplock Bags (one per color)
- Aluminum paper
- Tray
Instructions
- Add a tablespoon of vinegar into a large Ziplock bag
- Add the food coloring into the bag. The more food coloring you add, the stronger the color.
- Repeat for each different color.
- Add 2 cups of chickpeas to each bag.
- Close the Ziplock bag and shake it. Mix it well until it is seen that the food color has been distributed evenly and all the chickpeas are completely colored. (you can open the bag and add more food color if you want a stronger color.)
- Allow the colored chickpeas to dry by spreading them over a tray covered in aluminum paper.
- Move them around with a plastic disposable spoon to let some air and allow all chickpeas to dry.
- Once they are dry, you can use them to play or make crafts.
Play ideas To use colored Chickpeas
Here are some sensory bins and activity you can browse to get inspired!