Have you ever done those feely bags where you are blind folded, have to stick your hand in a bag, and then guess what you think might be in the bag? I feel like this activity would be perfect for the feely bags. This sensory tray is slimy and slippery. It was definitely a new feeling and texture for Riley.
Materials
- 1 box spaghetti noodles
- Food coloring
- Vinegar
- Zip close plastic bags (one for each color of food coloring being used)
- Parchment paper
Directions
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Cook the spaghetti according to the instructions on the box.
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Rinse the noodles with cool water and divide among the plastic bags depending on the number of colors you are using. I used four colors-blue, green, orange, and pink.
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Add your food coloring to each bag and a splash of vinegar.
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Securely close each bag and shake to spread the color around. This is a great job for older kiddos to help out with.
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Once the color has saturated all the noodles, open the bag and rinse the noodles again to get the excess food coloring off.
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Spread the noodles onto the parchment paper, and let them air out. I prepared the noodles in the morning for play time in the afternoon.
Note: This sensory tray does not keep well and is more of a one-time activity.
Set up
As I usually do for sensory play, I set up my plastic table cloth and taped it down with painters’ tape so that Riley didn’t pull it up during play. I poured the different colored spaghetti into my 9 x 13” Pyrex dish. I use this dish for most sensory play because it is heavy enough that Riley isn’t able to flip it over and deep enough to hold all the noodles. I set out spatulas, rubber scrappers, and a wooden spoon for Riley to use as she played with the noodles. Let the fun begin!
Riley's experience
In the beginning, I think Riley was uncertain about the feel of the noodles. She would pick out one or two strands of noodles at a time to place next to her on the table cloth. She would bring the noodle to her open mouth, but then quickly pull it away. These noodles were not as appetizing to her as the dry rainbow pasta. She tried to mix the noodles with the kitchen utensils, but found that they didn’t mix as easily as the dry rainbow pasta either. Often as she tried to mix with the utensils, she would end up flinging a noodle at herself which made her smile and giggle. Riley eventually just picked up a noodle and put it on top of other colors- mixing by hand instead. At the end of the activity, she enjoyed grabbing a handful and throwing it behind her. Though it took her a little time to adjust to this new texture, Riley enjoyed playing with the cooked spaghetti.
Benefits
- Physical development: Riley used her pincer grasp as she picked up one to two noodles at a time (fine motor skills). She exercised her arm, hand, and finger muscles as she grabbed, mixed, and threw the pasta (fine motor skills). In the end, Riley pulled herself into a crouched position as she moved around the tray to mix all the pasta together (gross motor skills).
- Language development: Riley was exposed to new vocabulary as I narrated her experience and the texture to her. She heard words such as slimy, slippery, spaghetti noodles, blue, green, orange, pink, mix.
- Cognitive development: More neural pathways and connections are formed as more senses are involved.
Links to materials
