Rainbow Rice

We are at our wits end- we are tired of winter here.  It isn't too cold and there isn't any snow but it is still too cold to spend all day every day outside.  Which is what I would do if I had my choice.  Not because I'm an outdoorsy person- because let's face it- I'm not.  I guess it depends on your definition.  I like the outdoors but I would never be able to survive if I was left in the wilderness alone- even if they did give me a knife.  Though I did spend a whole summer outside selling cherries from a truck- I got the best tan EVER- I have never looked so good.  (I do not condone tanning and if you saw the state of my almost translucent legs you would know that was true)    I just like the sun on my face, I like the fresh air, I like walking or biking places instead of driving, I like the TV to be off and the breeze blowing in my face (not the lethbridge breeze mind you),  I like smelling like the fresh outdoors, I like being active and most of all I like to see my kids being active.
Life is better when we can be outside.  That being said- I hate the cold and I won't hang out outside if it is cold.  So we have been coming up with fun things to do inside and taking advantage of the warmer weather when we can.  Sometimes it is a true test of my imagination and lets face it- the imagination of pinterest.

We recently found an activity that has captured the attention of my children like nothing else does these days.  I like to call it Rainbow Rice- or miracle rice.  They will play with this stuff nicely for an hour- after that it gets a little crazy and rice ends up everywhere.  But an hour of attention keeping fun play time- that is a miracle.  I am a firm believer in rainbow rice.  Super easy to make and super results!

Just take a couple of cups of rice (no need to be exact) a few drops of food coloring and a tablespoon or two of rubbing alcohol- mix it around in a bag and shake it up.  Lay it out on a cookie sheet with some waxed paper underneath- put your stove on the lowest setting pop it in until it is completely dry (don't forget about it and go out for a girl's night like I did...  Though nothing bad happened...  Justin ended up turning the oven off) and play with it.  A warning though- your house will smell like rubbing alcohol- just open the windows....

 Ruby and Myers mixing up the colors.

 All the colors waiting to be dried....

 And the end result.  We just layed out a blanket and when we were done we just gathered up the blanket and dumped it back in the container.  There were some rice casualties and I am still finding rice everywhere but- it is pretty minimal.

And they loved it so a little leftover rice is fine by me...