Creative Gift Baskets for Special Needs Kids: Colored Rice and More

This weekend I worked on putting together a gift basket, which I will be donating to one of the families that I work with in Early Intervention.  The basket will be used in an Autism Speaks fundraising event in May.  I like to be creative with my gift baskets, so my primary items include an innovative matching game, a therapy ball for motor coordination , an activity for social-emotional development, communication and imitation, and a sensory activity   .  Today I’ll be sharing with you how I made the sensory activity - a colored rice activity kit.  I had great fun making it and, truth be told, I found mixing the rice to be very relaxing.

In order to make the colored rice activity kit, you’ll need a mixing bowl, spatula (or gloves if you prefer to mix the rice with your hands), and

rubbing alcohol

dry rice

and food coloring

Making colored rice is incredibly easy and fun:

Pour the dry rice into a mixing bowl 

Add a spoonful or two of rubbing alcohol and mix well

Add a few drops of food coloring and mix with a spatula or your gloved hands.  (Don't be afraid to add more alcohol and/or coloring if you want.)   

Next, you can either spread the rice out onto waxed paper or leave it in the bowl to dry.  I chose to leave mine in the bowl and periodically stir it to ensure it dried evenly.  It dried relatively quickly, but just to be sure you may want to let it sit overnight.   

Once the rice was dry, I added some sea creatures and a net to make my colored rice sensory activity kit, which I named Sensory Me! Under the Sea.

Sensory activities like the one described in this article have many benefits, including:

• Expanding creativity and imagination
• Providing sensory input 
• Encouraging self-expression 
• Promoting exploratory learning 
• Providing relaxation
• Developing eye-hand coordination and fine motor skills 
• Presenting opportunity for experimentation with weight, volume, and measurement

When my son was younger, I would make sensory bins from all sorts of things. In the winter, I would fill a large tub with snow and we would make miniature snowmen and igloos. In the fall, my son and I would go for a walk and collect acorns for the bin. He would pretend the acorns were boulders and spent many hours pushing them around with a bulldozer.  Some other great ideas for sensory bins include:

• Salt
• Oatmeal
• Cornmeal
• Pasta
• Craft beads
• Shaving cream
• Beans
• Corn kernels
• Pebbles or gravel (check your local pet supply store)
• Styrofoam packing materials.

When it comes to sensory play, you are only limited by your imagination. Why not give it a try?  Don't be surprised if you enjoy it as much as your child.