Spaghetti Textured Painting

One of the classes I work with was learning about Italy.  I combined spaghetti and the Italian flag.  Here is what we did.

Directions:

Cook the spaghetti the night before.  Add a little oil to keep it from sticking.  Refrigerate overnight.  I read The Longest Noodle before doing the activity.  Have the kids put a handful of spaghetti into two baggies (2 handfuls total).  Add one color of paint per bag.  Shake the bag to mix the paint and pasta.  Add more paint if necessary.  Put an 11 by 17 piece of heavy paper into the bottom of paper box top. Shake the box top or use utensils to move the spaghetti around.  Dump the excess spaghetti into the trash.  Some may stay attached but that is okay.  It adds texture to the finished product.  You could also add glitter to the paint.  Glow in the dark paint might be fun too.