A colored rice sensory bin is one of my all-time favorite sensory activities to set up. It was my first introduction to sensory bins a few years ago, and I’ve been hooked ever since! The vibrant colors and endless possibilities make it a must-try for fun, hands-on learning.
Create The Best Color Rice Sensory Bin as an engaging activity that captivates your toddler’s attention and helps them develop important skills like scooping, grabbing, hand-eye coordination, and exploring cause-and-effect through play.
Here’s what you’ll need to set up this exciting sensory experience:
- Colored rice (Check out our easy recipe for vibrant sensory rice!)
- Funnels
- Ice cream scooper (or any spoon you have on hand)
- Cups or bowls (We used ornaments since it’s almost the holiday season—perfect for festive fun!)
- A bin to hold the rice and let the fun begin!
This sensory bin offers toddlers the perfect space to explore, investigate, and engage in creative play while developing key motor skills.
the importance to set up The Best Color Rice Sensory Bin
Sensory bins are hands-on tools for children to explore their world through their senses.
Have you ever played with rice? Grab a handful of rice and slowly let it fall. It is the most calming sensation. Listen to the rice falling down. If you are using a metal bowl, it makes a fun sound as it hits the bowl. It almost sounds like rain! (You should also make a rain stick sensory bottle with some of your leftover rice from this bin! It is so easy!)
This activity allows for many senses (to be activated during sensory bin play. Touch, sound, even smell!
Sensory play may calm, focus, and engage a child. It brings learning into a natural environment and invites kids to explore and investigate. It allows kids to develop confidence in trying new things. Sensory play creates cognitive connections in the brain as they play in a natural play environment.
Are you convinced yet that sensory play with rice is amazing? Let’s get started setting up a sensory bin with rice.
Step 1: Color the rice
The first thing to do when setting up a sensory bin with rice is to make the colored rice.
Yes, you can use regular rice without coloring, but color just makes everything more fun! You can make tons of different color variations.
if you have read anything about color theory, you know that colors evoke different moods. Cool colors such as green and blues promote a calming mood as opposed to red and oranges that evoke high energy and cheerful emotions.
For this sensory bin, we used a combination of yellow and green. Honestly, it was leftover rice from a previous zoo-themed bin I had created. Yellow and green are one of my favorite color combinations!
To make the rice, we use ziplock bags (one per color), a teaspoon of vinegar, and a cup of rice. We mix them all in the bag, shake it, and lay it to dry.
Check out our sensory rice recipe, where I show you the step-by-step process. You can also print out a quick guide to getting the perfect, most vibrant colors here.
Sensory bin tools
The sensory bin tools are key for a successful sensory bin play. I used to put random things and not know why I was putting what.
When choosing your tools, you want to know how you want your kids to play with it. Of course, they will create their ways of using the materials, but you do want to have a general goal in mind.
I knew that for this bin, I wanted to work on pouring and transferring skills.
We need Something to pick up the rice with. I provided an ice cream scooper and a small coffee mug.
The little metal mug makes an amazing sound when rice is dropped in it. It also has an easy handle for practicing pouring skills.
We needed somewhere to place the rice. I provided a challenge: the small ornament balls. And to help with the small opening, I provided funnels. Just look at those little hand muscles working to get the rice in!
how to present the sensory bin table
I have the IKEA flat table, which is a very common table to use for sensory play. This table has two compartments. In one, I always put my sensory bin filler, in this case, the rice. On the side, I always add the extra supplies so he can use whatever calls his attention.
Sometimes I use the small bins to present the extra items and sometimes I use two large bins side by side. It doesn’t matter how you present it as long as it looks attractive! This is why I think coloring the rice makes such a difference.
You should cover the floor to catch spills or place the table in an area that is easy to clean up.
Once you set up the activity, your job is done! Just sit back, relax, drink coffee, and watch your little one explore.
Always supervise play to ensure your toddler does not put rice in places it shouldn’t, like their mouth, ears, or nose.
What is it with kids exploring things by placing them in their noses?!
So always supervise and let them explore as long as it is safe.
How to clean up the sensory Bin
Once play has been finished, you can set up the bin again for playtime later in the day, or you can place the rice in a ziplock bag and store it for later.
If placed in a dry area, tour-colored rice should last for a while. Just play, store, and reuse.
Last thoughts
Sensory play is super important for development during the early years. Fine motor skills can be developed through play using sensory bins. Help your toddler strengthen his hand muscles, which will give him the skills needed to later learn how to put on their shirts, tie their shoes, hold a pencil, and write the ABCs.
If you are interested in developing your toddler through play, join us!
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