You know what I hate? Pretty kids crafts.
I’m always skeptical when I see photos of kids with messy hands and clashing paint colors and the final result looks like it could hung in a museum.
How?!
My toddler doesn’t show a whole lot of promise in the art department. She gets that from me, poor girl.
I’m sure that right now you’re probably confused by the pretty picture I lured you over here with and why I’m denouncing the pretty crafts, but I promise it’s not a bait-and-switch.
This rainbow pasta jar is 100% toddler-made.
I just HAD to share this rainbow pasta jar with you because it turned out so pretty and was so stinking easy for the two unartistic ones in the family (toddler and me) to put together.
And if we can do it, then I know you can, too.
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
How to Dye Dry Pasta
To dye dry pasta, you’ll need:
- dry pasta, of course
- food coloring
- vinegar
- gallon-sized zip-top bag
- paper towels
- baking sheet
The process is pretty much the same as coloring dry rice.
First, pour a cup of dry pasta into a zip-top bag. We used rigatoni and ditalini pastas. Then add a teaspoon of vinegar and a bunch of food coloring.
If using gel food coloring, I would mix the dye with the vinegar first before adding to the bag of pasta.
Shake it up.
Once the pasta is completely coated in food coloring, spread it out to dry on a paper-towel lined baking sheet.
We made red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple dry pasta. It took about three hours to completely dry.
While we waited, we made lunch, cried because we weren’t allowed to dip our fingers in ketchup and eat it, shared blueberries with baby sister, freaked out about the blanket on the bed being backwards, and finally, took a peaceful little nap.
How to Make a Rainbow Pasta Jar
You’ll just need a few more supplies to make a rainbow pasta jar:
- a clear plastic jar with lid
- a funnel
- dyed pasta
I made my own funnel by cutting off the top of a plastic soda bottle. A funnel makes it super easy for little kids to pour pasta into the jar, but it’s not absolutely necessary.
We layered the rainbow pasta in the jar starting with purple, then blue, green, yellow, orange, and finally, red.
Other than me instructing my daughter on what colors to do, she made the rainbow pasta jar completely on her own.
We talked about colors and the different sizes of pasta as she worked. Ella really liked the sound that the pasta made as it fell into the jar, too.
There wasn’t much room at the top for the red, but the colors look so pretty all layered together in the jar! We both loved how it turned out, and we’ll have to try it again with colored rice.
I used an empty gummy vitamin container, so the lid is child-proof. If you’re using a peanut butter jar, or something where the lid could come off, you can seal it more permanently with glue.
Your Turn to Make a Rainbow Pasta Jar
Follow the instructions below to dye your own pasta. You can use whatever type of pasta you want–stars, alphabet, wagon wheels, etc.
Dyed Pasta
Supplies
- 1 cup dry pasta
- 1 tsp white vinegar
- food coloring
- gallon-sized zip-top bag
Instructions
- Pour dry pasta in a zip-top bag.
- Add the white vinegar and several drops of food coloring. (See note.)
- Shake the bag to combine the ingredients.
- Repeat Steps 1-3 using a new zip-top bag for each color.
- Lay the pasta out to dry on paper-towel lined baking sheets. It takes about 3 hours.
Notes
Dying dry pasta is a really easy, inexpensive activity you can do with your kids indoors or outdoors. You can use the dyed pasta to make a pretty rainbow jar, like we did, or use it as a sensory bin filler, or for another craft, like making pasta bracelets.
I hope you and your kids enjoy playing and learning together with this rainbow pasta jar craft!
Looking for an organized guide of fun, easy activities to do with your toddler that also encourages their growth and development?
I’ve created a 3-month activity planner just for busy parents like you! The plan includes 65 detailed, simple, and stress-free activities including: arts and crafts, sensory play, motor skills, and STEM–all using easy-to-find supplies.
Let me help make planning activities for your toddler easy, so you can skip the stress and get straight to the fun!
