How to dye rice
Mix 2 cups of rice with 1 tsp vinegar and a few drops of food colouring in a sealed bag. Shake, then spread on trays to dry overnight.
Messy Play Colour Lab
Sensory play is powerful for language, fine motor skills, and creativity. These recipes use inexpensive ingredients and keep colour bold for days.
Messy Play
Tuff Trays
Sensory Bases
Welly Walks
Storage tips
- Dry bases fully before storing in airtight tubs.
- Add a scoop of salt to prevent clumping.
- Label colours for sorting and maths activities.
DIY dyed sensory bases
Rainbow chickpeas
Tip chickpeas into jars, add vinegar and food colouring, shake, then bake at a low heat for 45 minutes to set the colour.
Colourful spaghetti
Cook spaghetti, drain, then toss with food colouring and a teaspoon of oil. Cool before adding to a tuff tray with scissors and tweezers.
Tuff tray colour plans
Tuff trays (large plastic trays) are a staple in UK classrooms. Use a single colour to focus vocabulary and reduce overwhelm.
Yellow construction site
Sand + diggers
Blue ocean rescue
Gel + shells
Green garden centre
Soil + pots
Messy play language prompts
- What happens when we mix two colours?
- How does this texture feel in your hands?
- Can you sort these by shade?
- Which tools help you move the colours?
Nature colour hunts
Welly walk checklist
Head outside with clipboards and the nature colour hunt printable. Encourage children to compare shades of green and brown.
Seasonal swaps
Autumn = red, amber, gold. Winter = silver, white, blue. Adapt the checklist to the season for better engagement.
Photo scavenger hunt
Use tablets or cameras for older children. Ask them to capture three shades of the same colour for a class display.