My one-year-old LOVES sensory play.
Because of that, I came up with a sensory play idea that would be safe for him to eat. We’ve come across amazing rainbow ideas, but my son really needed something edible to touch and to play with. And, we came up with a great solution!!
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I originally saw this sensory play idea from Fun at Home with Kids about using bread crumbs for baby play. Her genius idea led us to do a twist on rainbow toast and make this edible rainbow!
What You Need for Rainbow Sensory Play
- 2 loaves of bread (we bought ours for $1 a loaf)
- Food coloring
- Milk (We used almond milk, but whatever you have will work)
- Food Processor
Amazon links provided for you – thanks for the support
How to Make Rainbow Sensory Play for Toddlers, Babies, and Kids
- Lightly toast your bread (I bought cheap bread, so I needed it to be a little firmer so it didn’t get to squishy from the milk)
- Blend 1/6 of your bread in the food processor (okay, I’m getting technical….but, really, you just need to divide your bread so that you have equal amounts for the number of colors you are going to make!)
- Add 2-3 drops of food coloring to roughly two tablespoons of milk (do this for each color)
- Add the colored milk to the bread crumbs and blend
- Lightly toast the bread crumbs or let air dry in an open bag (For the first time ever, it’s good if the bread gets stale – woo hoo!)
- Rinse the food processor and repeat for the next color
Note: I burned one batch of bread (palm to forehead). Learn from me and carefully watch your bread as it toasts!!
7. Put the bread crumbs in a bin or in a pan. And, let the kids dive in!!
My baby literally went into the pan – Ha! I just love his little mouth full of rainbow crumbs..
Although it looks like a mess, this kept my extremely active baby in one place and happy for an hour. I think I should have titled this miracle sensory play.
If you love family friendly activities, check out how we play with things around the house.
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What a fantastic idea!! There are so many sensory options out there but not a ton of them are edible. This is the perfect solution! Thanks for sharing 🙂
Thanks so much, Amber! Yes, there are a ton of options out there. Since my son puts everything in his mouth, we had a to get creative with a fun and SAFE option for him!
So fun! And using bread – genius!
Thanks, Heather! Both my kids had a blast with this. So fun!!
I’ve never heard of this idea, but it is great! Pinning to my sensory play board 🙂
This looks so much fun. I never thought to use breadcrumbs for sensory play.
I’ve featured this on The Sunday Showcase this week: http://www.herecomethegirlsblog.com/2014/03/16/rainbow-activities-toddlers-young-children.html
Thanks for the great idea! We made this today and my 10 month old enjoyed the experience.
I’m so glad you loves it as much as we did!! 🙂
Love this idea! My son just turned two and still puts stuff in his mouth. (I think its to get a reaction from me). We tried oatmeal. He loved it, but it didn’t taste so good. I can’t wait to try this!!!
Love it! Hope you both have a blast with this 🙂
Hi! How long does this last before it goes bad? Or should you use it as soon as you make it?
Hi Anna ~ It depends on how fresh the bread loaf is. I stored mine in ziplock bags and in the fridge for about a week. But just like bread, it can mold and get yucky easily, so definitely keep an eye on it! Hope that helps 🙂