We seem to be developing a bit of a theme lately around tactile activities with food! A couple of weeks ago we did some
painting with condensed milk. This week we tried our hand at some pasta prints. I cooked up a whole lot of spaghetti and pasta (adding a few drops of food colouring to each lot to make it a different colours) and let it cool. The idea is that the cooled spaghetti sticks to the paper and you can make pictures out of it. I realised afterwards that it's probably a more appropriate activity for older kids who have the coordination to make a proper picture but nonetheless my kids enjoyed feeling the texture of the pasta and of course, eating handfuls of it!! Please excuse the blueness of these photos - that's what happens when you put a blue tarp down on a sunny day!
Be warned: the pasta makes an awful mess when traipsed around the house ;) I usually do these activities outside but for some reason decided to do this one inside. I think I was still finding bits of pasta days later!
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12 comments:
Just for my own interest, what do you use for food colouring? The reason I ask is that my son seems a bit sensitive to artificial colours, and I'm wondering if there's a natural food colouring available that anyone knows of. All I've found in Woolies is the normal little bottles that contain the usual artificial colours.
That activity looks like fun, but I can guarantee that T will end up eating most of the pasta, so I'd want something that won't send him into outer-space when he does.
We just use the generic food colourings, my kids don't seem to have a problem with them. Have you checked out any health food stores? They might have some food colourings that contain more natural ingredients.
You can use pesto to colour food but somehow I don't think this will work
in the water ;) You could try making the pasta and adding natural food colours while you are making it!
Looks like lots of fun :) and I love that you put down a tarp first LOL
I think mine would eat it all, if outside the dogs would try and get it if inside the rabbit would get it! I like the raw pasta glueing though, have you done that yet? Will you make some home activitie things as Christmas gifts for people Narelle?
Thanks for the info Narelle - health food stores might be the best bet.
I often have a lot of beetroot juice left over when we make burgers, I wonder if it would work?
My youngest son did this at Kindergarten this year to practice forming letters. Messy, slimy fun :)
Nadiah, I think beetroot juice would work quite well. I almost said before that you could probably steam some spinach and then use the green water to cook the pasta in :) Beetroot juice would probably work even better!
And throw in some ground turmeric for a lovely yellow :)
Nadiah, I did get some natural food colourings at the supermarket, same brand (Queens, I think) as the artificial stuff, but about double the price.
I have seen plenty of picture making with raw pasta, but only one other with cooked pasta. I bet it feels great for the kids to play with but ick! LOL
And now I have The Wiggles "Hot Potato" in my head, thinking about cold spaghetti! LOL
That looks like fun :) Would definitely do it outside though. Can see my girls degenerating into a food fight - which while fun would also be messy :D
What a fun tactile activity. I might have to borrow this one...
what a great idea!
definitely on the to do list for when the weather is warmer and they can "create" outside!
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