Pasta and grains are great for sensory play! I have a variety of both, so I decided to use them both cooked and uncooked for this activity.
First, we started out by feeling the uncooked version.
Orzo, Oats, Quinoa, Rice Noodles
They got right to it!
Their favorite was the quinoa.
Mixing things together.
Fun!
I suggest cooking some of the grains and pasta ahead of time. But, since I didn't do that, we took a short break to do so.
In the meantime, Riley wanted to give Noah a "check up" to make sure he was feeling ok today :)
Heart and breathing patterns seem ok.
Checking his temperature...with a syringe? ok!
And lastly, the eyes. Looks good!
Ok, back to the activity.
Everything has been cooked and cooled. The top and bottom 4 tins contain the cooked version. The middle 4 tins contain some of the uncooked, so they could see and feel the difference. You could actually skip my first step completely if you cook your pasta and grain ahead of time and just start with this :)
Looks and feels a lot different!
They still love the quinoa!
They love to smell everything!
Having fun being messy :)
Then the REAL fun starts! Adding colors and painting!
I added some leftover cornstarch paint from another project, but any washable paint would work.
Smashing the noodles into the paper.
Trying out each one.
Smashing again.
Riley's Masterpiece.
And Noah's.
I love how you can see each one - orzo, oats, quinoa, noodles!
The aftermath! It was well worth the cleanup :)
This activity was great! A little on the messy side, so be sure to lay something down on the floor or table, or just go ahead and take it outside if the weather permits. Have fun!
~Lovely Fluffy Mama
