Rainbow Theme Activities
On April 2nd, we celebrate World Autism Day to educate others about autism, to raise awareness, encourage acceptance and understanding and the importance of inclusivity. I’ve compiled some hands-on rainbow theme activities that can be used to celebrate the spectrum of possibilities.
Sensory bin and scissor skills with dyed noodles
How To Dye Noodles
Cook your noodles in a pot of boiling water as per usual by following the instructions on the box/bag
Drain them in a colander, rinse them with cold water and separate them into sections in a Ziploc bag (I used 6 bags)
Add food colouring and 3 tablespoons of water to each Ziploc bag and mix the noodles around (1 bag for each colour)
Let the noodles sit in the Ziploc bags for 10 minutes and then rinse them with cold water in a colander
Create a sensory bin and give your child some time to explore
Dress yourself with rainbow Picasso Tiles or Magnetic Tiles
Lorenzo ready for Mama to trace his body on the craft paper from Ikea
What To Do:
We use Ikea craft paper rolls for various activities and this one is always a hit.
Have your child lay down on the craft paper and trace the outline of their body
Ask your child to dress themselves with Picasso Tiles or Magnetic Tiles
A great way to encourage creative play!
Rainbow Scavenger Hunt
Clear your kitchen countertop or dining table
Use Ikea craft paper to cover the countertop/table
Draw a large rainbow on the craft paper with a pencil
Send your child on a scavenger hunt to find items to create the colours of the rainbow
This is a great activity to help get your kids moving!
Dyed Chickpea Cardboard Craft
How To Dye Chickpeas
Separate your dry (uncooked) chickpeas into 7 Ziploc bags (1 for each colour of the rainbow)
Add a generous amount of paint to your Ziploc bag
Mix the chickpea and paint around until they’re all covered
Place the dyed chickpeas on a paper towel and leave them to dry overnight
Cut paper towel or toilet paper rolls into small pieces. Create a design on a large piece of cardboard
Use a hot glue gun to stick the paper towel/toilet paper roll design on the cardboard
Give your child a small spoon and have them use their imagination to decorate your creation (alternatively, they can use their fingers)
Rainbow with Con-Tact Paper
How To Create a Rainbow Suncatcher
Cut a large piece of Con-Tact paper into a rectangle
Draw a rainbow on it with a Sharpie marker
Remove the protective layer from the back and tape it against a window/door (sticky side facing up)
Cut tissue paper into small squares (preferably with all colours of the rainbow)
Give your child a handful of cotton balls (for the clouds)
Have your child decorate their rainbow with the tissue paper and cotton balls to create a beautiful rainbow suncatcher
Rainbow Sorting Activity
What To Do:
Take an empty egg carton, turn it over and colour each section a different colour with a marker
Use wooden BBQ skewers or dry pasta noodles to puncture a hole through the middle of each “egg” on the carton
Give your child a bowl of Fruit Loops cereal and have them match the Fruit Loops with the colour on the egg carton
This can also be done with dyed pasta
A great activity to help strengthen your child’s fine motor skills, hand-eye coordination and pincer grip!
Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin
How To Make Rainbow Rice:
Take 1 cup of inexpensive long grain white rice and place it in a Ziploc bag (1 for each colour)
Add 1/2 tsp vinegar to the Ziploc bag
Add several drops of all natural food colouring to the Ziploc bag
Mix it around in the bag
Lay it out on a paper towel to dry (dries pretty quickly!)
Create a sensory bin with various containers, other pouring toys/items from your kitchen
Dot Sticker Rainbow
Draw a rainbow using chalk markers on a large piece of cardboard
Use dot stickers and create a rainbow by sticking the stickers on the cardboard
Hope these recommendations help! As always, be sure to supervise your children closely during these activities, especially children who like to put things in their mouths.
I frequently share updates on my Instagram page @natalieabkariancimini and you’re welcome to send me a DM if you have any specific questions.
Lots of love,
Natalie Abkarian Cimini
Amazon Affiliate Disclosure: For Little Monkeys Charity is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com or Amazon.ca. None of the links are sponsored and the recommendations are 100% based on my own opinion/experience.
