It does the same stuff for older folks, too. Remember that tween slime craze from a few years ago? Those tweens were getting themselves SO much sensory enrichment! Fidget toys are somewhat the same, but frankly, I’d prefer them to be a bit more open-ended and process-oriented. ANYWAY, where was I? Oh, right–dyed Epsom salts! Epsom salts make a fun change of pace from the usual dyed dry rice, pasta, and beans that tend to make up most preschool sensory tables. I especially like the iridescent colors that dying brings out in them, and I like how scoopable they are, perfect for toy dump trucks or your old measuring spoons! It takes just a few minutes to make a batch of these dyed Epsom salts, followed by a full day or night to let them dry. So pick your favorite colors (don’t forget to leave a batch undyed, because white is a fun color, too!), mix them up with a few scoops of Epsom salts, and your kids’ new funnest sensory material will be ready in the morning!
Materials
The materials are VERY simple:
Epsom salts. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate crystals. They’re skin-safe, but for goodness’ sake do NOT let your kids eat it! If your kids are still in the stage of nomming up their sensory materials, then this one isn’t for them. Make them some edible play dough instead. dye. Food coloring works fine, but if you get really into the hobby of DIYing sensory materials, you might want to invest in bulk containers of liquid watercolors. My kids and I used the absolute snot out of our set of liquid watercolors throughout their childhood years, and now that they’ve had the nerve to grow up, I still have some left over. plastic baggies. This is one of the few cases in which disposable plastic sandwich bags really shine! newsprint/blotter paper. You’ll want a safe space for the Epsom salts to spread out and dry, and something reasonably absorbant to spread them out on. Newsprint, brown paper bags, used printer paper, or broken-down cardboard boxes would all work well.
Step 1: Pour Epsom salts into plastic baggies.
Pour whatever amount of Epsom salts make you happy into a plastic sandwich baggie. Don’t fill it so full that you won’t be able to agitate it later, but otherwise measure with your heart.
Step 2: Add dye.
Pour some dye, whether that’s food coloring or liquid watercolors, into the bag on top of the Epsom salts. A little dye goes quite a long way, so err on the side of caution. You can always add more dye later!
Step 3: Seal the plastic baggies, then agitate.
Squeeze most of the air out of the plastic baggies and seal them. Then, mush them around in your hands to distribute the dye throughout the Epsom salts. This would seem like a great job for a little kid, but I warn you that there is nothing a little kid is better at than accidentally opening that plastic baggie you thought was sealed and dumping liquid dye and wet Epsom salts everywhere. Ask me how I know this.
Step 4: Spread out the Epsom salts to dry.
Spread the Epsom salts across your newsprint, blotter paper, cardboard, etc., and leave it to dry all day or overnight. Make sure to put this out of the reach of children, because frankly, it looks delicious. Once, I was dyeing dried pasta in a solution of liquid watercolor and rubbing alcohol to set the color, and while I was spreading the pasta out to dry, a completely grown-up adult walked by, picked up a piece of bright blue pasta, and popped it into her mouth. I was all, “Ma’am, does that LOOK like it’s edible?!? Spit that out at once!” Seriously, people cannot help themselves! But seriously, your child knows (or is in the process of knowing, ahem) that sensory materials in the sensory bin at the sensory table are not for eating. But iridescent, candy-looking stuff on a tray on your kitchen counter? I mean, that’s candy, right? Plan accordingly. You can tuck away the dried Epsom salts into a deli container or jar for safekeeping, but they’re also fine stored in the open air at room temperature. They’re not food, so they won’t go bad. Because these dyed Epsom salts aren’t food and are super sturdy, they make a great kid’s art supply, as well. Children can incorporate them into their play dough play as embellishment or another sensory element, and even use them with air-dry or oven-baked clays to make keepsakes. There’s not much cuter than a kid-made salt dough cookie with pink Epsom salt sprinkles, arranged on a plastic plate and sold to you for Monopoly money by the sassiest four-year-old cookie store owner!
