Oats are the perfect thing to add to the sensory boxes you are making for your kids. Using this tutorial you will learn How To Dye Oats for Sensory Play. You can use colored oats in sensory bins for the kids and they will love it!
How To Dye Oats for Sensory Play
We are big fans of Sensory bins for preschool learning and one of our must haves is colored rice, but one of our other favorites is colored oats. It is very simple to make Colored Oats for sensory bins.
We love sensory bins with colored oats because they have a different texture then the colored rice and it gives the kids a different feeling when playing with it.
When I am dying oats colors I use food coloring, this way it is totally safe just incase a kiddo thinks it sounds like a good idea to taste it.
Tips for Making Colored Oats
Make it scented. If you don’t want your rice to have a vinegar smell you can add you favorite essential oils. I used my lavender oil to add a little calm to my rice.
Store colored oats when not in use. You can store it in an airtight plastic container or zip closed bags.
Use plastic bags for mixing the rice with food coloring. Coloring oats is easy, however you are going to want to mix the oats with the food coloring in a plastic ziploc bag so you do not get your hands covered in dye. You can do it in a bowl but I prefer to use a bag.
Allow to fully dry before using. It is important to let it dry out all the way or the kids will get the food coloring on their hands when they are playing with the oats in sensory bins. You can speed up the drying time if you put less oats on a tray, the more oats on a tray the longer it will take to try.
Make sure you don’t get the oats to wet. You want to make sure you do not make the oats to wet or they will become very mushy and hard to dry out.
How To Dye Oats Supplies
- liquid food coloring
- old fashion oats
- water
- bowls
- spoons
- paper towels
How To Dye Oats
Add one to two cups of oats to a bowl or a zip close bag.
In another bowl add two tablespoons of water. Choose the first color you would like and add 10-20 drops to the water, you would like the water to be hard with that color.
Add about one teaspoon of the color water at a time until you have achieved your desired color.
Layout two paper towels on your counter and pour your oats onto the paper towels. Spread them in a nice even layer.
Repeat steps 1-4 with however many color oats you would like.
Allow the oats to dry overnight.
Stir the oats to break up any lumps. If you have any damp spots move those oats to a dry piece of paper towel and allow them to dry
How To Dye Oats for Sensory Play
Oats are the perfect thing to add to the sensory boxes you are making for your kids. Using this tutorial you will learn How To Dye Oats for Sensory Play. You can use colored oats in sensory bins for the kids and they will love it!
Materials
- liquid food coloring
- old fashion oats
- water
- bowls
- spoons
- paper towels
Instructions
- Add one to two cups of oats to a bowl or a zip close bag.
- In another bowl add two tablespoons of water. Choose the first color you would like and add 10-20 drops to the water, you would like the water to be hard with that color.
- Add about one teaspoon of the color water at a time until you have achieved your desired color.
- Layout two paper towels on your counter and pour your oats onto the paper towels. Spread them in a nice even layer.
- Repeat steps 1-4 with however many color oats you would like.
- Allow the oats to dry overnight.
- Stir the oats to break up any lumps. If you have any damp spots move those oats to a dry piece of paper towel and allow them to dry.
