Kids Activity: How to Make Quick, Easy DIY Dyed Pasta Noodles for Sensory Play and Crafts That Build Gross Motor Skills

This blog post includes affiliate links which means I will receive a commission based on sales generated via these links. Please know I only promote products and companies I use and enjoy! See my full affiliate disclaimer here.

DIY Dyed Pasta Noodles for Preschool Sensory Play A Kids Activity Using Craft Paint and Hand Sanitizer. Fun and Easy!

Who remembers making noodle necklaces in kindergarten? I do!

Here’s a new twist on playing with pasta noodles that has been a really big hit in our house this summer. We have enjoyed sorting them by color or shape, plus they provide a unique hard texture that’s safe to play with. Not only did Sweetpea (4) love helping make these noodles, she is loving playing with them! The best part was that we were able to make these in about a half hour time and we used pasta and paint we already had on hand. Since we have loved them so much, I thought you might enjoy them too.

Ways to Use Dyed Pasta Noodles:

Sensory Play (Check out this coral reef tray we made)
Color Sorting
Gross Motor Skills (picking up with tongs, stringing on a necklace or gluing them to paper)

Dyed Dry Pasta Noodles For Sensory Bins & Crafts

INGREDIENTS

1 cup of dry pasta noodles (I used various shapes in each cup)
1 pump of hand sanitizer (or 1 tsp. rubbing alcohol)
1 tbsp. non toxic craft paint (we LOVE the Apple Barrel brand from Walmart)

INSTRUCTIONS

Using a bowl or plastic bag, add the dry pasta and then add 1 pump of hand sanitizer. Add the paint and mix. You can put a lid on a plastic bucket and shake gently or you can use plastic sandwich bags and use your fingers to smooth the paint around the noodles inside the closed bag. Cover a cookie sheet with wax or parchment paper and pour the noodles out to dry. They dry quickly so I came back within 5-10 mins. and used my hand to gently break up the noodles so they didn’t dry in clumps. Allow to dry overnight for best results.

Embed Block

Add an embed URL or code. Learn more

One of the coolest things I love about making dry pasta as a sensory base is the fact that you can choose so many different varieties to create some unique textures and shapes. Another great fact is that you can customize your colors. We chose really bright colors that were summery and fun!

If you’re curious, here are the colors and noodles I used in this particular batch: