OH Guide: How to make and play with but not eat colored pasta

When you're looking for something "crafty" to do with your toddler and the ol' Play-Doh has been did why not make a few batches of colored pasta? Yes, I'm talking pasta. The same pasta you use to make delicious soups with in Autumn. The same pasta you use to string up to create special fancy "jewelry" and "parent gifts" when you were just a kinder yourself. Yes, the same pasta but with a super cool color twist. Not to mention you probably have everything you need to whip up some of these saucy pastas today.

To make colored pasta you'll need:
Various pastas. I wanted to make a lot for my daughter to play and create with so we used small shells, elbow macaroni, bow ties, penne and small and large tubes.

Rubbing Alcohol

Food Coloring

Plastic Sandwich Bags

How-to color pasta:
Pour desired amount of pasta into a sandwich bag. Remember a lot of pasta goes a long way so you won't need much unless you're making it for an entire class.

Measure and pour two to three capfuls of rubbing alcohol into the plastic bag.

Drop five to six drops of desired food coloring color. Don't be afraid to mix those primaries!

Seal the baggie. Make sure it is really sealed.

Carefully mix the bag ingredients, turning the bag over and upside down, making sure to saturate the pasta. Although you're not using a lot of liquid don't worry. As long as you shift the contents of the baggie every so often you will get perfectly colored pasta. I like to let mine sit over night to get really vivid colors.

When desired color is reached carefully spread pasta out on a cookie sheet to dry. Make sure pasta isn't too close together or else you'll end up with pasta clumps. And that's it! The best part is the color won't rub off onto tiny hands. Just make sure to remind kids that this pasta is for playing and not eating.

When pasta is dry the fun begins:
Making pasta necklaces help with those oh-so-important fine motor skills and as they get older, say three plus, they can even work on creating color patterns with their pasta also an important developmental milestone for young kids.

Using pasta to craft pictures.

Sorting pasta. Being able to sort items into categories and telling how things are similar and different are also majors skill for young kids to develop. They can sort pasta by color, size, shape etc...We like to use muffin tins for sorting (see picture).

Have a pasta tea party. Use the pasta in place of the "tea" and let those little social butterflies practice pouring and passing.

Play kitchen with the kids. Let the kids measure and pour the pasta and then mix the colors together. Mix with spoons. Mix with hands for a little tactile action.

Math skills. We can count the pasta, add pasta and even subtract the pasta. "Five green bow ties plus three blue bow ties equals eight bow ties!"

Make shapes, letters, numbers using pasta.

Go crazy with the pasta knowing it's all in good fun and so helpful with developing some important toddler skills.