Cooked Spaghetti Sensory Tray Play

A box of spaghetti

A splash of vegetable oil

Food coloring (optional but fun)

A baking sheet or high chair tray

Child-safe tongs or a slotted spoon

Cook a box of spaghetti, drain, and rinse with cold water so it's comfortable to handle.

Toss the cooled spaghetti with a splash of vegetable oil to prevent sticking.

For extra fun, add a few drops of food coloring and toss to make colorful noodles.

Spread the spaghetti on a baking sheet or directly on the high chair tray.

Let your toddler dig both hands in — pulling, squishing, draping noodles over the edge, tearing them apart.

Offer tongs or a slotted spoon for a more advanced transfer challenge.

Narrate: "You're stretching it so long! Squish! That one's purple!"

Strip your toddler down to a diaper or use a long-sleeve smock. This gets spectacularly messy.

Cooked spaghetti is completely taste-safe, which is exactly what you need at this mouthing age.

If you color the noodles, use three different colors and see if your toddler starts to sort them naturally.

The slippery texture is different from anything else in your toddler's world — that novelty is what makes this so engaging.

Lay a plastic tablecloth or old shower curtain under the high chair for easy cleanup.