Ocean-sensory-bin using sea animals is one of our favorite activities to set up. Maybe because we live in Florida and love visiting the ocean.
Even if you don’t live close to the ocean you can still celebrate sea life!
Using colored pasta today as part of our blue week celebration, we are making a sea animal ocean sensory bin.
This ocean sensory bin looks amazing and is so easy to make! All you need is some leftover pasta, some food blue, and yellow food coloring, and some ocean figurines.
We love everything ocean. You will often find ups on the boat fishing or sightseeing dolphins. I am obsessed with sea turtles and if you see me on Instagram stories you will often find me wearing sea turtles jewelry.
One of my favorite sensory materials to create is edible-safe colored spaghetti. It is so easy to make and it looks so pretty! I have done it for zoo theme sensory bins for my sensory class and today we did it ocean themed.
If you are as excited about the ocean as we are then let’s get started and I’ll show you how to make it!
Supplies needed:
- Blue food coloring
- cooked spaghetti
- sea animals figurines
How to Make Ocean Sensory Bin with Colored Pasta
Watch this video or follow the steps below to make this fun ocean pasta sensory bin
Step 1: Prepare the Pasta
Prepare your spaghetti according to the al dente instructions. Add salt but do not add oil to the recipe to avoid the color sliding off. We want the color to be absorbed by the pasta.
Step 2: Perpare the colors
Prepare a bowl of cold ice water and add a few drops of blue food coloring. Add in your pasta ensuring all pasta is submerged under the water.
Step 3: Wait
Let the pasta soak for about 1-2 hours to ensure all coloring gets absorbed.
Step 4: Rinse Out
Rinse out the colored water and run through cold water to remove any coloring left. This will avoid the coloring to stain your little one’s fingers and mouth.
step 5: Pat Dry
Lay the pasta on a tray with a paper towel to pat dry. This step is optional.
Step 6: Set up Ocean Sensory Bin
Place your colored pasta into a sensory bin to start assembling your ocean bin.
Place in your ocean animal figurines and you are ready to play!
Extend your play
Work on scissor skills by using toddler scissors and encouraging your child to cut the pasta.
Allow for free Play
A lot of learning happens when a child gets into a play flow. They will try things, use their creativity and explore the materials. Allow time for free play and avoid interrupting and showing them “how to play”. Of course, unless you are showing a skill like cutting with scissors.
Use this time to extend their vocabulary by naming the animals, colors and describing what they are doing.
Last thoughts on Ocean Theme Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is easy to set up with dinner leftover pasta or with pasta you make fresh. Freeze any leftover pasta after playtime if it is still clean and use it later again.
You can create a multi-dimensional look by creating a mix of green and blue pasta. And of course, you can change the theme by changing the color of the pasta and the animal figurines you present.
Use what you have at home and have fun!