Coloring Rice and Back to Work!

Britton Walter

I don't know if anyone is aware, but I had a baby boy on August 30th, and I will be returning to work on October 31st.  I'm excited and nervous and ten million other emotions!!!!!  I am the teacher of a toddler classroom with 28 kids enrolled and 21 kids coming every day.  They range in age from 16 months to 30 months.  It is the most challenging, but wonderful job I have ever had!  It is nerve-wrecking to be the lead teacher, but ten times more rewarding knowing that I am the main source of new ideas coming in to the room.  I have created this blog to share my ideas and to hopefully get suggestions and comments back for even more ideas!!!

   

My New Family :)

While on Maternity leave, I colored some rice for the classroom sensory table.  Science and sensory are some of the most challenging topics to cover for toddlers.  They tend to put things in their mouths and throw things all over the floor.  My center has a policy about bringing food into the Toddler Room that is not for eating.  They think it will confuse the children if they are not allowed to eat the food, and we do not encourage playing with our food.  However, I asked permission to color rice, and it was approved because it does not look like food once it is done.  It was so easy to do, and it will be so great to bring it into my classroom when I get back!  (So watch for the results!)

Colored Rice

How to Color Rice:

1 cup rice + 2 tsp rubbing alcohol + food coloring = Colored Rice!

Put rice in a bag. Add rubbing alcohol and food coloring.  Seal bag.  Shake rice (carefully!).  Put wet rice on a pan and put in the oven on "warm" heat for about 15 minutes.  Enjoy!