HOW TO DYE BEANS FOR SENSORY PLAY
Sensory play doesn’t have to be expensive. If you’re a mom who knows the benefits of sensory play, you’ve probably been tempted to buy luxury Montessori tools and colorfully marketed toys for sensory purposes. But you don’t need much!
With just a few grocery store items, you can create colorful dried beans that you can use in a bunch of sensory activities. We love beans for sensory play because they promote fine motor skills, cognitive development, and creativity!
Dying the beans is quick and easy and provides hours of open-ended play for your sensory table!
Here’s how you can turn boring beans into a colorful sensory experience:
HOW TO DYE BEANS FOR SENSORY PLAY
What You Will Need
Dried beans (Lima beans, white beans, navy beans, pinto beans—any dried beans!)
Instructions
STEP 1: Lay out wax paper.
First, lay out your wax paper. Beans like to roll, so we recommend you cover most of your working space in wax paper to avoid mess.
Bonus tip: You could also put the wax paper on a baking sheet to avoid rolling beans!
STEP 2: Add beans into containers.
Next, determine how many colors you want to make, and then get out that many containers or bags.
Then, put one cup of beans in each one. The measurements don’t have to be exact, but this will give you the vibrant colors you’re looking for.
STEP 3: Add vinegar and food coloring to each bag.
Take one tsp. of vinegar and ¼ a tsp. of food dye, and add them to each container or bag.
Bonus tip: Involve your kids in the creation process! It’s not only a sensory experience on its own, but it also teaches them math and science skills!
STEP 4: Shake until beans are covered in dye.
Now take the containers or bags and shake!
Your little ones will love helping with this part! (Just make sure those bags and containers are shut tight.)
STEP 5: Pour beans onto the wax paper to dry.
Once each container of beans is evenly coated with color, spread the beans onto the wax paper to dry. This could take up to 5 hours, so don’t rush the process.
(If your child gets a little eager and picks up those beans before they’re dry, read our post on how to get food coloring off your hands.)
STEP 6: Store beans by color.
Now, you can lift the wax paper and pour your colored beans into your desired containers!
We recommend glass jars, but any clear container or back will do. Of course, sort by color!
STEP 7: Play!
Finally, it’s time for fun - use your beans in sensory bins for all sorts of activities! You can find a HUGE catalog of sensory activities on the Mothercould in Your Pocket resource!
Some activities you could try are this color-sorting game or this letter-finding activity. You can also find how to make the 3D shapes and letters here. They’re perfect for your sensory table!
Dry beans are an inexpensive way to have hours of sensory fun!
If you love the idea of sensory play but have been overwhelmed by the price tag, don’t be! There are lots of ways to have sensory activities without the cost or the hassle! With these beans, your kids can begin playing pretend, decorate, and set up activities with less than a quarter of the price tag!
In fact, here you can find more sensory play ideas that you can set up in 10 minutes or less! And if you don’t have beans handy, but you have rice, here’s how to color rice. Or if you have a little one at home who likes to put things in his or her mouth, try coloring taste-safe chia seeds!
As you can see, there are lots of ways to play. You’ll be pleased to know that we have even more DIY sensory activities on the Mothercould blog. There, you’ll also see recycled play guides, parenting hacks, and easy family meals!
Mothercould has everything you need to make meaningful connections with your family through play!