Here’s an easy way to make lavender dyed rice for a relaxing lavender sensory tub.
Bedtime sensory tub: how to dye rice
Ahh, just looking at that picture makes me relax a little.
We often use sensory play  as a lovely way to chill out after school, or to transition from a busy day towards bedtime.
Tired children sometimes need a little direction and sensory play offers an activity idea that’s interesting but also calming and relaxing.
Play dough is our favourite choice for sensory play but today we tried something different: lavender dyed rice.
It’s touchy-feely and smells wonderful – perfect for chilled out kids.
Here’s how to dye rice and make a bedtime sensory tub.
Start by placing your uncooked rice in a plastic bag – double bag as a precaution against tears and spills!
Then mix up your colour. I blended blue and pink food colouring to make a lovely lavender shade.
Pour the food colouring into the bag of rice and stir, stir, stir to distribute the colour.
Lay out the rice to dry over night and your rice is ready. Easy peasy!
To add an extra sensory element to our bedtime tub we added the flower heads from some lavender stalks.
The rice has such a pleasant feel, as it’s soft and pours through your hands. With the added lavender it smells so relaxing too.
You could add scoops and spoons and bowls for your children to play with the rice.
Or hide some little treasures in the tub for them to hunt for.
My kids didn’t even want to wait for me to add any extras – the colour, scent and feel of the rice was irresistible and they just had to play straight away.
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Emma says
30/08/2012 at 9:52 pmLove the lavender rice, have found a mess free way to colour the rice than in the bag, if you use a old plastic tub with a lid (Take out tubs, or old sandwich box)you can even add the lavender at this stage too, and just shake, it’s less mess and the kids can do it too,Keeps pretty well too xxx
Cathy @ NurtureStore says
30/08/2012 at 9:59 pmOh fab tip Emma – thank you!
Tracy says
10/12/2016 at 7:51 pmThis is how we do it, too!!
Gina says
31/08/2012 at 1:20 amWhat a wonderful idea! I’m going to try this before naptime, since my little guy has such a hard time falling asleep. Maybe he will relax with the added lavender…maybe I should try it, too. 😉
Vicky says
31/08/2012 at 3:17 pmYou are a genius! This looks so relaxing I may make a big tub of it for myself! Just pinned, thanks for sharing. Vicky from http://www.messforless.net
Cathy @ NurtureStore says
31/08/2012 at 3:30 pmVicky, I keep playing with it myself every time I walk passed it!
Clair says
31/08/2012 at 11:41 pmHi Cathy.
Does the colour come off on the children’s hands?
Do you think that adding lavender essence would work to enhance the scent?
I’d love to make them for a montessori pouring activity in practical life
Clair
Cathy @ NurtureStore says
01/09/2012 at 10:05 amHi Clair. No, it didn’t come off on the children’s hands at all – but I think that will depend on which brand of food colouring you use. We use Silver Spoon Create colouring. You could add lavender essence but the scent was strong enough just from using the real lavender flower heads, so I don’t think you’d need it.
chelsey says
01/09/2012 at 4:45 amI love this! Definitely putting this on my to do list!
Cathy @ NurtureStore says
01/09/2012 at 10:05 amGlad you like the idea chelsey 🙂
Marnie says
03/09/2012 at 3:50 amIn love with this post, the colors, the scent, the time of day…thanks for the inspiration! 🙂
Cathy @ NurtureStore says
03/09/2012 at 8:10 pmGlad you liked it Marnie.
Christina says
31/03/2014 at 10:04 pmWhen I color rice, I add a tsp of white vinegar per cup of rice to help the color stay put. Plus the rice dries in about twenty minutes. Then you could add the lavender and you’re ready to go 🙂
[email protected] Let's Go on a Picnic! says
19/03/2013 at 9:43 amCan you leave the dye out? We have food due sensitivities.
Cathy James says
19/03/2013 at 4:34 pmYes Laurel, you sure could. You’ll obviously not have purple rice, but the white rice would look just as lovely. The fragrance comes from the lavender so the tub will still have lovely sensory qualities even without the colour.
Jessica says
27/03/2013 at 11:28 pmWhat a great idea! Unfortunately my husband is allergic to lavender : (
Davina Duncan says
31/05/2015 at 6:40 amTry vanilla, or chamomile they’re also calming
Ms. Tracie says
13/09/2013 at 7:43 pmUse a tablespoon or two of alcohol with the coloring. I usually use watercolor paint (I think from S&S) and put it in zip lock bags to mix. Then spread it out on newspaper to dry. The alcohol helps the rice dry faster and it does not rub off on the children’s hands once it is dry. Love the idea of adding lavender. I always scent my play doh but never thought to scent rice!!
Mel says
09/02/2016 at 2:30 amHow do you scent the play doh?
Cathy James says
09/02/2016 at 10:56 amYou can see the full play dough recipe here: http://nurturestore.co.uk/lavender-playdough-recipe
Kate says
17/09/2013 at 10:24 pmI’ve just made this & wondered how many lavender flower heads you used? & were they dried flower heads or still in bloom ones? (It’s drying atm & am wondering if I’ve done it wrong & the smell won’t be strong enough!) 🙂
anna hagins says
21/01/2014 at 1:42 amwill someone please put measurements on these recipes
Sheila says
26/01/2014 at 12:51 amcan the lavendar scent or buds be added to the diy microwavable rice packets?
Cathy James says
26/01/2014 at 8:06 pmI’ve never used rice packets Sheila, but do the just contain ordinary rice?
sarah says
08/04/2016 at 6:10 pmYes Shelia they can I’ve done it before
Cathy James says
08/04/2016 at 6:25 pmThanks Sarah!
Jessica says
31/03/2014 at 11:56 pmfor the lavender cloud dough…can whole wheat flour be used instead of white flour?
Cathy James says
01/04/2014 at 6:03 pmHi Jessica. Cloud dough needs a specific kind of dough (cornflour/cornstarch) but I wonder if you mean the play dough I refer to in this article. You could make play dough with wholewheat flour, although if the flour has more ‘grain’ in it, you will notice a slight difference in texture.
Rethink with Play Therapy says
09/04/2014 at 11:18 pmI’ve just made my lavender rice, it’s fab. One or two drops of lavender oil and the smell is just a hint. Perfect. I put it in sandwich bags after dyeing and put it in the freezer for ten minutes and it was dry and ready to go. Fab. Thanks for posting.
lee says
30/12/2014 at 8:34 pmcan u let the rice go down the drain
Cathy James says
31/12/2014 at 8:43 pmHi lee. No I wouldn’t let the rice go down the drain – it’s very likely to block it. Better to compost it?
Mel says
09/02/2016 at 2:33 amWhere do you get the lavender flowers?
Cathy James says
09/02/2016 at 10:55 amHi Mel. Ours were from our garden but you can also buy dried lavender online.
Arolyn Sargent says
05/04/2016 at 6:21 amDo I need to worry about the dye or lavender getting on little hands and getting in mouth?
Cathy James says
05/04/2016 at 5:07 pmYes Arolyn, I would always asses an activity in relation to the children who will be playing, considering things like what kind of dye you choose, if there are any allergies, and if any children are likely to put things in their mouth.
Tracy spencer says
07/07/2016 at 4:13 amSorry I’m sure this is a silly question but how much food coloring do I use I’m trying to color some rice for my niece’s wedding
Cathy James says
07/07/2016 at 7:11 pmHi Tracy. That’s going to depend on the brand of food colouring you are using and how much rice you want to dye. Food colouring gels go a long way and you would only need a tiny bit for the bag of rice shown in the photograph. I used liquid food colour here and used 1-2 teaspoons for the bag of rice shown.
Vicky says
22/02/2017 at 11:42 amLove this. Made some pink and red rice for valentines day last week. How long does it last?
Cathy James says
22/02/2017 at 5:37 pmOurs lasts for months and months, if not years! So long as you don’t let it get wet or damp.
Kim says
10/02/2019 at 11:32 pmI am a grandma of a almost 3 year old, He doesn’t play with any of this. I have tried flour, sand, whip cream. Any ideas?
Cathy James says
11/02/2019 at 2:24 pmHi Kim. It’s so nice to hear you’re giving your grandson all these lovely invitations to play. What does he love playing with? Perhaps start there, so you know he’ll be interested, and build from there. So if he loves cars, maybe add them to the sand tray, or roll the wheels through paint and show him how he can make some art.