How to Make Rainbow Rice for Sensory Play

Rainbow rice is a colorful and engaging sensory material that kids love to scoop, pour, and play with! It’s easy to make with just a few simple household ingredients, and the best part is that it dries quickly, so little hands can start playing right away. In this post, we’ll show you how to dye rice using food coloring and rubbing alcohol for a mess-free, long-lasting sensory bin filler.

Looking for more spring sensory bin ideas? You may enjoy our bug sensory bin!

Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin Filler

In my recent Shamrock Suncatcher tutorial, I mentioned that one of my goals for 2025 is to avoid spending on new craft supplies. Another goal I’m excited about is sharing all the fun sensory play, nature activities, science experiments, and crafts my youngest son (who is now 15) and I enjoyed during our homeschooling days!

Rice was always one of my son’s favorite sensory bin fillers. I first introduced him to a rice bin at age two, and for years, it was part of his nightly routine—bedtime snack, bath, screen-free play with his rice bin, then stories. The texture, sound, and flowing movement of rice creates a calming sensory experience. It works well with sand toys and funnels for added fun!

Supplies Needed for Coloring Rice

Before you get started, make sure you have all the right supplies.

• White rice (uncooked)
• Food coloring
• Isopropyl alcohol (70%)
• Mason jars or another type of tight container (1 per color)
• Plates
• Spoons

Watch the Video Tutorial

Learn how to color rice by watching our step-by-step video.

How to Make Rainbow Rice for Sensory Play

Rainbow rice is a fantastic way to bring color and excitement to sensory play, and it only takes about 15 minutes to make. Whether used for scooping and pouring or imaginative small-world play, it’s sure to be a hit with kids of all ages! For your convenience, a printable play recipe card is available below—add it to your recipe binder!

STEP 1: Divide the rice. Divide equal portions of uncooked white rice into 6 mason jars.

STEP 2: Add the rubbing alcohol. Pour the rubbing alcohol onto the rice. The alcohol helps distribute the color evenly and speeds up the drying process. If you don’t have rubbing alcohol, you may use white vinegar as a swap. Both options will smell strongly at first, but the odor will dissipate when the rice is dry.

STEP 3: Color rice. Add the food coloring. Seal your jar and shake vigorously until all the rice is evenly coated in color. If the rice appears too light, add more food coloring and shake again.

STEP 4: Dry the rice. Spread the colored rice in a thin layer on a plate or baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Let it air dry for about 1–2 hours. If you’re in a hurry, you can place it in a warm, dry spot for faster drying and your kids will be playing in no time!

STEP 5: Repeat for each color. Follow the same steps for each color until you have a full set of rainbow rice! Our recipe makes 6 cups of rice, which is perfect for a tabletop sensory bin. Double—or even triple—the recipe for larger sensory bins.

STEP 6: Store and play! Once completely dry, store your rainbow rice in an airtight container. It can last for months (we enjoyed ours for years) if kept dry. Use it for sensory bins, crafts, or even as a fun learning tool for color recognition and sorting!

As always, supervise young children during sensory play to prevent accidental ingestion.

Take it Further

• If you want a scented version, add a drop or two of essential oil while mixing.
• Pair this activity with a book about rainbows.
• Use liquid watercolors instead of food dye for more vibrant colors.
• Add cookie cutters or colorful beach toys to your rainbow rice. This sifting funnel would be perfect!
• Use the rice to decorate a rainbow craft.
• Make an I Spy-inspired bottle with your rainbow rice.
• For more opaque colors, dye your rice with a squirt of acrylic paint.
• Use this rice to make a St. Patrick’s Day or spring sensory bin!
• Add toy animals or figures to your rice sensory bin to encourage imaginative play.
• Offer a variety of containers and scoops for kids to transfer the rice between them.
• Develop fine motor skills by offering kids tweezers and challenging them to pick up individual grains of rice.
• Scatter plastic Easter eggs in the rainbow rice and encourage kids to fill them to turn them into shakers.
• Use dyed rice to create a themed sensory bin. This ocean sensory rice is so eye-catching!
• Play shake-themed music during step 3 and invite the kids to join you for a kitchen dance party!

More Sensory Bins for Kids

Looking for more sensory play ideas? Check out these fun invitations to play:

• Use kinetic sand to make a dinosaur sensory bin!
• Toddlers love splashing around and playing with bubbles in a water sensory bin.
• Use colorful pom poms to make a soft and soothing pom pom sensory bin.
• Our Halloween sensory bin is perfect for little ghouls!
• For no-waste outdoor sensory play, make a birdseed sensory bin.
• Use expired coffee beans and toy flowers to make a garden sensory bin.

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