Sensory play has so many benefits for your children. Embrace the mess and enjoy the fun with this colourful pasta activity. It’s the perfect way to keep kids busy at a birthday party, and it won’t cost a lot! Just a bit of cooking and you’re ready for hours of fun.
It’s true, quite often when it comes to playing with your baby it is likely to end up quite messy. But don’t let that turn you off, in my books, the messier it is, the more fun both you and your little one will have! Life isn’t about staying as neat and tidy as possible. It’s about diving in head first and experiencing every moment, even if it means adding a stain or two along the way. Tip number one: if you can’t handle the mess, buy some big bibs for your little one to protect their clothes!
If you’re hoping to pull this out for a party, then set up some tarp outside, ready to catch the mess. Whether you’re at the park, in a hall, or at home, tarp is the solution to all your problems!
It doesn’t matter what theme your party is, coloured pasta sensory play is the perfect addition. Just choose the coloured based on your theme and it will match the party! Easy! If you have a Bluey Party, keep the colours blue, white and orange to match the heelers.
In fact, as a party favour, you can dish some pasta into take-home containers for the parents. The fun can continue at home and you don’t have mountains of pasta to clean up afterwards. It’s a win-win! Perfect party bag idea!
Coloured Pasta ensory Play
his colourful pasta is likely to be a big hit with your kids. If you are thinking of giving it a go, I recommend getting a couple of mum friends over and tag teaming. When I did it, a friend and I were in the kitchen cooking and dyeing the pasta, while another friend was watching the kids. I definitely would have struggled if it was just me on my own, in fact, the pasta dyeing really was a two-man job.
Sensory play is so important for babies and is one of the best ways for them to learn and retain new information. By feeling the spaghetti, playing around with it, watching all the different colours and even putting it into their mouth (don’t worry, it’s edible!), they are learning about the world around them and taking it all in. There are so many different ways to encourage sensory play with your children, and this is just one of them.
Materials
- 8 x packets pasta (adjust this depending on how much you want!)
- 4 x food colouring (different colours)
- Vinegar
- Olive oil
- Plastic gloves
Method
- Grab your first two packets of pasta and cook according to packet instructions. When all spaghetti is fully emerged in the boiling water, add a couple of drops of food colouring of your choice.
- Once cooked, drain pasta in a colander and rinse under cold water.
- Add pasta to a plastic bag, along with a dash of vinegar and a couple of drops of food colouring (the same colour that you used in the pot).
- Shake the bag to mix it around and then put on your pair of plastic gloves to really mix in the food colouring. Once you have achieved a colour you are happy with, add a little olive oil and mix through before tipping the pasta out onto a flat surface (protected by the newspaper of another craft sheet) to dry.
- Repeat these steps with the remaining packets of pasta, dying each batch a different colour.
I made sure I introduced the pasta to Cassie slowly (rather than just throwing her into it). At first she was quite hesitant, but by the end she loved it so much and even enjoyed having it tipped on her head. The pasta surprisingly lasted for a good few days, so we definitely got a lot of use out of it.
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