Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin with Colored Rice

A valentine’s day sensory bin with colored rice, heart buttons and pipe cleaners for fine motor practice and sensory fun.

This colored rice Valentine’s Day sensory bin is wonderful fun for children! Perfect for the month of February, or for anytime that you want to spread a little love and cheer with bright colors and hearts.

Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin with Colored Rice

Colored rice is a staple in our sensory play as it is calming to play with. The sensation of rice running through the fingers is an excellent way to decompress and stimulate the senses. Add some scoops and funnels, and this relaxing play is incredible educational!

How to Color Rice

Dyeing rice is really quite simple. Begin by separating the rice into ziplock bags, depending on how many colors you would like to have.

To the rice, add a few drops of food coloring and a bit of liquid to help it spread. We use either contact lens solution, white vinegar, or a pump of hand sanitizer.

Shake the bags vigorously and the rice will be fully colored. Lay on a baking sheet to dry or let dry in the bags overnight. Your rice is ready for play!

What you Need To Make the Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin

Colored Rice (Red and Pink)

Bin or plastic container

Heart shaped buttons

pipe cleaners

felt hearts

mini scoops

To Assemble the Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin

Place the colored rice (instructions above) in the container. We like to use scrapbook paper bins or lidded plastic bins if we are going to store and re-use a bin. I try to make them once a month do coincide with themes, so they tend to receive a lot of play over that amount of time.

To the colored rice, add the heart buttons, pipe cleaners and felt pieces, along with scoops funnels for play.

For some fun fine motor practice, children can thread the buttons onto the pipe cleaners, a wonderful workout for small fingers.

The scoops and funnels are perfect for learning cause and effect, and also provide auditory sensory stimulation.

Place the lid on the bin and take it out another day, kids won’t tire of playing with this one!

Enjoy xx

See the Video of the Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin in Action Below