How To Make Taste-Safe Chickpea Foam For Sensory Play

Try this easy, 5-minute, taste-safe, Chickpea Foam For Sensory Play! This chickpea sensory foam recipe is an awesome sensory play activity for babies and toddlers!

If you’re looking for an easy, taste-safe sensory play activity to keep little ones entertained, chickpea foam (also known as aquafaba) is pure magic!

This fluffy, colorful foam is made from the liquid you find in a can of chickpeas, which whips up into an airy, cloud-like texture perfect for squishing, squeezing, and endless tactile exploration.

Chickpea foam is similar to bubble foam, but safe if curious little hands happen to pop it in their mouths. Plus it’s incredibly easy to whip up.

Why Chickpea Foam is Awesome

Sensory play is all about stimulating a child’s senses to encourage exploration and discovery. For babies and toddlers, chickpea foam checks all the boxes! Here’s why it’s an ideal sensory activity:

• Taste-Safe and Non-Toxic: We know little ones explore the world with their mouths. Chickpea foam is made from chickpea liquid, which is safe and edible (though maybe not the tastiest). This means you can relax and let them dig in—literally!

• Easy to Customize: From colors to themes, chickpea foam can be whatever you want it to be! Add food coloring to make it visually exciting, or mix in small toys for added exploration. It’s a versatile base that works with just about any sensory play theme.

• Supports Fine Motor Development: Playing with foam helps kids develop those small muscles in their hands and fingers, essential for future skills like writing and self-care tasks. Squeezing, scooping, and squishing the foam also helps develop hand-eye coordination.

• Encourages Focus and Calms the Senses: Sensory play can be wonderfully calming for little ones. The repetitive action of scooping and exploring textures can help them focus, feel relaxed, and stay engaged. It’s perfect for quiet play or a calming reset during the day.

The Best Chickpea Foam Recipe

Ready to make this awesome chickpea foam? You don’t need much, and it only takes a few minutes to whip up!

Ingredients

• 2 cans chickpeas (more if you want a lot of foam)
• 1 tsp cream of tartar (1/2 tsp per can, optional but helps the foam hold longer)
• Food coloring (optional, to add some fun color!)
• Mixer (this is my favorite hand mixer, but a blender works well too)
• Strainer (to drain the chickpea liquid)
• Sensory Bin (or any shallow container for your child to play in)
• Scoops, tongs, ice cream bowls, or silicone cupcake liners

Instructions

Step 1: Drain the Chickpea Liquid

Open 2 cans of chickpeas, drain the liquid (aquafaba) into a mixing bowl, and set the chickpeas aside for later use (hello, easy hummus!). This liquid is all you need to create foam!

Step 2: Add Cream of Tartar

Add about 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar to the liquid. This ingredient isn’t absolutely necessary, but it makes the foam fluffier and helps it stay longer. If you don’t have cream of tartar, you can substitute it with a dash of lemon juice or vinegar.

Step 3: Whip It Up!

Grab your mixer and whip the chickpea liquid on high for 4-5 minutes. You’re looking for soft, fluffy peaks that resemble whipped cream or shaving foam.

Step 4: Add Food Coloring (Optional)

If you want to make colorful foam, add a few drops of food coloring and briefly mix it in. For multiple colors, you can split the foam into separate bowls and color each one differently.

Step 5: Play!

Pour the foam into a sensory bin or container large enough to play in. Add some scoops, tongs, ice cream bowls, or silicone cupcake liners, or just let your littles ones explore the chickpea foam with their hands.

My kids had a blast scooping the fluffy foam into ice cream cups. It looked just like a sweet treat! We even added sprinkles for a fun, extra sensory twist.

Creative Play Ideas for Chickpea Foam

Once your chickpea foam is ready, it’s time to let the kids explore! Here are some fun ideas to get the most out of this sensory experience:

1. Themed Sensory Bin

Pour the foam into a sensory bin or shallow container, add a few toys, and let them dive in! Try making a chickpea foam ocean with blue foam and plastic fish or a chickpea foam dino dig with toy dinosaurs buried in the foam.

2. Treasure Hunt

Hide small, washable treasures (like plastic gems, rings, or letters) in the foam for your little one to discover. It adds an extra layer of excitement as they dig around to find hidden surprises!

3. Baking and Ice Cream Station

Use the foam in a pretend kitchen setup with play bowls, spoons, and scoops. Add some sprinkles, silicon cupcake liners, and plastic scoops, and they’ll have a blast making “ice cream” or “cupcakes.”

4. Holiday-Themed Sensory Bins

Chickpea foam makes the perfect base for holiday fun! You can whip up a bubbly Witches Brew sensory bin for Halloween by dyeing the foam green or purple and tossing in spooky toys like spiders and eyeballs. For March, try a St. Patrick’s Day sensory bin with gold coins, shamrocks, and green foam for a treasure hunt adventure. And in February, make a sweet Valentine’s Day sensory bin by coloring the foam pink or red and adding heart gems, pom poms, or foam letters.

You’ll Love This Chickpea Sensory Foam

Chickpea foam isn’t just fun, it’s also educational and beneficial for young kids’ development. Sensory play activities like this engage multiple senses, promote motor skills, and encourage curiosity. Plus, it’s entirely taste-safe, non-toxic, and easy to whip up in just minutes.

So next time you have a can of chickpeas, save that liquid and get ready to create a fluffy, colorful foam for some sensory play fun!