Colored Rice

Spruce up the rice in your preschooler's Rice Activity Table by coloring the rice every color of the rainbow! What would our world be without color?

Materials You Will Need

Uncooked white rice
Food coloring - preferably paste, but drops will do
Rubbing alcohol
Ziploc bags
Smock - this is messy!

How to Make It

Step 1: In a Ziploc bag, pour in about 1 cup of white rice.

Step 2: Add some food coloring and 2 teaspoons of rubbing alcohol to the rice.

Step 3: Zip the bag closed (my goodness, be sure it is closed!), and give it to your preschooler to shake, shake, shake. Turn on some fun dancing music to shake to.

Step 4: Allow to air dry for about 6 hours, or spread out thinly on a cookie sheet and lightly bake the rice dry on a low temperature.

Step 5: Repeat until all colors of the rainbow have been used.

Step 6: Once dry, combine the rice by pouring it into the Rice Activity Table.

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How to Liven It Up!

When it comes time to shake, shake, shake the bags of rice, turn on some fun dancing music to shake to. I recommend the song "Ants in Your Pants" from Wild And Woolly Wiggle Songs by Johnette Downing. This is one of my and my son's favorite kids' songs ever! The words to the song goes something like this:

"There's ants in your pants, you can't get 'em out so shake, shake, shake. There's ants in your pants, you can't get 'em out so shake, shake, shake. There's ants in your pants, you can't get 'em out, turn your body inside out. There's ants in your pants, you can't get 'em out so shake, shake, shake."

It continues with "shrews in your shoes" and other animals and critters in your clothes. Beware: You'll sure to be singing this song all day long because your preschooler will want to hear it over, and over, and over again!

To order, Wild And Woolly Wiggle Songs, see the Amazon link to the right.

My Two Cents

Although you could cook and eat the colored rice, I don't recommend it. : )

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I'm Stacey Lloyd, the Executive Editor and one of many writers for PreschoolRock.com. I enjoy writing about preschoolers, and reading your ideas and experiences with your preschooler. If you have any suggestions, ideas or questions about this site, please contact me.

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