Rainbow Noodles
Rainbow Noodles! This activity is a variation on rainbow spaghetti—it is the same method, but I used vermicelli rice noodles. This is great for babies eating solids and up! It is taste safe and a great way to explore a new texture. This would be so fun as a play date activity! Try it in a large plastic tub/bin or in the bath (but don’t let too many noodles go down the drain) if you are worried about the mess!
This sensory play was a lesson for me because usually my 10 month old wants to get into everything, but at first she really did not want to touch these! The great thing about sensory play, though, is that exposure to different feelings and textures is a learning experience, even if baby doesn’t want to have much to do with it at first. The second day I did this activity she was totally fine playing with the noodles, and loved throwing them!
Making these is simple, and you can choose to make a rainbow of colors or just one!
Cook the noodles according to the package, here I used vermicelli rice noodles but spaghetti noodles work as well.
Place a gallon plastic bag in a bowl and fold the bag over the edge, repeat for however many colors of noodles you are making. Divide the noodles evenly into the bags.
Add 1 tbsp of water and a few drops of food coloring to each bag, close the bag and shake/ massage the color in. Let sit for 5-10 minutes.
I was inspired by @acraftyliving for this activity! She used spaghetti and noted that with spaghetti noodles, finishing by running them under cold water in a colander will help the color not run. I didn’t have any issues with the color running with vermicelli. You can pat the noodles dry with a paper towel or cloth towel if they are too wet.
I am definitely going to try this activity again because I think it was a great sensory experience! I would recommend only using these for the day once baby has played with them, but personally I would be okay with making them a day ahead of time, as long as they haven’t been played with. .
.Here is what they looked like all mixed up:
