colour me happy :: how to dye chickpeas

Recently I dyed some chick peas for the kids for a little bit of fun imaginative and sensory play.

They’re such a great size and very different to the texture of our rainbow rice! 

It’s easier than you may think to dye pasta and rice, and the result is fun and vibrant and irresistible! 

You will need:
Dried chickpeas {you can get these from the supermarket or a bulk foods grocer will have them cheaper – if you are in Perth Kakulas in Northbridge is a great spot for things like this!}
Food dye {I use a gel paste food dye because a little goes a long way and their colour selection is awesome}
Vinegar
Zip lock bags
Baking paper
A tray

Method:
Divide up your chickpeas into one ziplock bag per colour choice.
Work with one bag at a time, and add a small splash of vinegar and a drop or two of food colour to the chickpeas and close the bag. 

Gently massage the colour into the chickpeas and make sure it’s evenly spread. Leave in the bag and do the other colours.

Spread out onto a tray lined with baking paper to dry. They don’t take long, but you can speed it up with sunshine or on defrost/keep warm mode in the oven if in a pinch. Just keep an eye on it!

And now they’re ready to play with!

My littlest {one year} loves to just play with them. They’re such a great sensory experience and of course he enjoys the mess, colour and texture. Obviously he is always supervised with this activity. We have also been hiding little plastic animals in here and making their sounds when we find them. Lots of great fun!

My 4 year old loves to colour sort, and these are a great size for fine motor skill practice! They’re small and require the use of that pincher grip that is all important to help them hold their pencils properly, but not too small to be annoying! 

There are so many uses for these – like cooking with in their pretend kitchen. And transferring from one bowl to the other or using for pouring from a little jug are great ideas, both of which are great for hand eye coordination.
We have also been using them with play dough! :o}

 Have fun!! 

Check out how to dye pasta here for fun crafts and activities! 

And rainbow rice has been a favourite here for years, check out how to make your own tub of fun here. 

xxx!