I had planned on doing a rainbow pasta sensory bin last year during centers but it didn’t happen(2015). Since I have had a TON more time to plan this year, I decided to finish it (2016).
VIOLA!!!!
First, I used neon food coloring and vinegar. I believe I read somewhere that vinegar helps distribute the color evenly. The pasta smells pretty funky but isn’t as bad once it dries. I picked the neon food coloring at the local grocery store and this is how the colors turned out. I have also read that you can use rubbing alcohol instead of vinegar. I would recommend that if you want it to smell less. I did a couple of tablespoons of vinegar and several drops of dye.
I will change this out various centers that go in the sensory bin. You can add whatever colors you want. I simply put a dry pasta inside a large Ziploc bag. I added a few drops of dye and then shook it up. I added more drops as needed to make the color really stand out. I laid each of them out to dry in the sun on our back deck. It took several hours to dry and I had to roll them over for the other side to dry.
This wasn’t as simple as it seemed on Pinterest but I will use this all year long.
Update: I have used various matching centers in the pasta over the years. It lasted 2-3 years before it broke up. I just placed it in a gallon ziplock back for storage. I also dyed rice the same way. Sensory bins are very engaging.
