Sensory bins are a great way for kids to use their senses to explore and learn.
Kids can learn and play with these themed bins!
Coming up with these themed bins is one of my favorite things to do with my kids. We had a blast playing and learning with each of these activities.
Let me show you 30 EPIC Sensory Bins.
Activity #1: Hot Chocolate Sensory Bin
I love creating sensory bins that the kids can eat! This one was a huge hit because we don’t typically buy sugary cereals.
So, when I broke out the Cocoa Puffs, they literally ran to see what I had planned for them.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- Cocoa Puffs
- mini marshmallows
- Starbucks cups
- measuring cups
- whipped cream
- mini red cups
B. Set-up
Dump some cereal into your sensory bin. Then, add in some mini marshmallows, cups, and spoons!
C. Activity
Let your little ones make their own “hot chocolate” by scooping the Cocoa Puffs into the cups! They can add in some marshmallows as well! They can also use the spoons to scoop out some whipped cream from the mini red cups and put it on top of the cup!
Don’t worry… I ate some too. Don’t feel bad :).
RELATED: Winter Activities for Kids
Activity #2: Pond Number Sensory
I love planning sensory activities that involve learning as well! It’s so fun to come up with these set-ups that the kids enjoy.
This pond setup is the perfect spring sensory activity to practice counting and number recognition with your preschooler.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- water
- blue food coloring
- green felt
- Sharpie
- toy frogs
- nature items (sticks, rocks, and flowers)
B. Set-up
In a sensory bin, add some water and blue food coloring. Place in some sticks, rocks, and flowers from outside (this is so fun to do with the kids)!
Create some lily pads with green felt paper. Next, write numbers on the lily pads you want to review with your kids. Lastly, add some frogs to the pond.
C. Activity
The kids should use the frogs to jump from lily pad to lily pad. When they reach the lily pads, they should say the number! They can also count and play with the frogs.
RELATED: Spring Activities for Kids
Activity #3: Gardening Sensory Bin
Gardening is one of my favorite things to do with the kids! It’s a great way for us to get outdoors and have some family time!
We did this activity before we could get outside and actually get in the garden. This was great practice as well!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- flour
- vegetable oil
- cocoa powder
- small flower pots
- fake flowers
- gardening kit for kids
- rocks
B. Set-up
To create the brown cloud dough filler, mix 6 cups of flour, 1 cup of vegetable oil, and 2 cups of cocoa. Then, mix it all up with a spoon. Lastly, add in all the accessories mentioned above!
C. Activity
Let the kids use the shovel to scoop some of the “dirt” in the pots. Then, they can add in some flowers. They can play with the dirt and pretend they are gardening!
RELATED: Outdoor Toys for Kids
Activity #4: Lucky Charms Learning Pack
Lucky Charms are a St. Patrick’s Day staple. They are PERFECT for learn and play activities for this month. Does anyone else’s preschooler just want to eat the marshmallows?
This year, I created a FREE Lucky Charm Learning Pack for you!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- FREE Lucky Charms Learning Pack
- Lucky Charms
- sensory bin
- green cups
- tape
- fine motor tools
Click here for your FREE Lucky Charms Learning Pack.
B. Set-up
It couldn’t be easier! Print off the learning pack pages and play! In the pack, I have a marshmallow sorting activity (as you see above) as well as a marshmallow graph.
C. Activity
1. Sorting activity
Cut out the labels and tape them to green cups. Dump the lucky charms into a sensory bin! Have your little ones sort the marshmallows in the correct cups.
2. Graph
Have your kids sort the marshmallows by type. Then, they should place them on the graph. Show them how to tell how many there are on the graph!
This is a great way to introduce graphs to your kids. This is a fun activity that involves treats and small numbers!
RELATED: Teaching Resources
Activity #5: Sensory Bottle Sky Fill
I love using sensory bottles! The kid’s made their own sensory bottles this time, and it was SO much fun!
It works out great because you get two activities in one! You have a sensory setup the kids can play with, and they can make the sensory bottles for later use!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- rice
- blue liquid watercolors
- plastic bag
- parchment paper
- baking sheet
- rainbow poms
- scoop
- sensory bottles
- cotton balls
B. Set-up
*Make the blue-colored rice by dumping 2-3 cups of rice in a plastic bag. Add a few drops of liquid watercolors in the bag, close it up and shake!
*Dump it out on a baking sheet with parchment paper on it. Wait for it to dry (it only takes a few minutes).
C. Activity
Place the colored rice in the sensory bin! Add some rainbow-colored poms and cotton balls! Place a scooper inside the bin and let the kids have fun with the setup.
After a little bit, place the sensory bottles inside and let the kids fill them up. Then, they can shake and see how they look!
Activity #6: Insect Sensory Bin
My kids are always fascinated by insects outside! It makes for such a fun sensory and play activity for kids.
While you are playing with this activity, discuss that insect starts with the letter i. If your little one is also working on beginning sounds, it’s important to have them say what sound the letter i makes.
How to do this activity
1. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- toy insects
- flour
- vegetable oil
- cocoa powder
- fake grass
- stones
- craft sticks
- fine motor tools
- gardening toys
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2. Set-up
In a sensory bin, dump 7 cups of flour, 1 cup of vegetable oil, and 1 cup of cocoa powder. Mix it up! Move it to one side of the bin and place fake grass on the other half. Lastly, add in stones, sticks, and insects!
3. Activity
Have your little ones use the fine motor and gardening tools to play! They will have a blast exploring the bin and the insects. Talk about the different insects, what they eat and how many legs they have.
RELATED: Letter I Crafts and Activities
Activity #7: Dinosaur Oobleck Sensory
Preschoolers LOVE dinosaurs! This dinosaur muddy play is the perfect sensory setup for your little ones to play with their dinosaurs!
There is a land section and a water section for this sensory bin. When you add water into the mix, the kids always enjoy it. I’m also not kidding when I say that I had to set up the blue water set up for my son for weeks straight after this activity.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bins
- cornstarch
- water
- food coloring
- fake grass
- toy dinosaurs
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B. Set-up
To create oobleck, you mix two cups of cornstarch and 1 cup of water. Then, add in A LOT of brown food coloring. To get it to look brown, I had to add many drops of brown food coloring.
It won’t stain their hands!
Add the oobleck and the fake grass in one sensory bin and add some water with a few drops of blue food coloring in another bin.
C. Activity
Let the kids explore the dinosaur’s habitats! If you have different types of dinosaur toys, you can separate which dinosaurs would be in the water and land.
They can cover them up in the oobleck and then give them a bath in the water too!
RELATED: Dinosaur Activities for Kids
Activity #8: Feed and Count Dinosaur Activity
Feeding activities have become a BIG hit around here! They work great for fine motor skills, color recognition, and counting skills.
I love when activities work on several learning skills at once!
How to do this activity
1. Materials you need
- Count and Feed Dinosaur Printable
- poms
- sensory bin
- plastic cups
- tape
- laminator(optional)
- scissors
- knife
- kid-friendly tweezers
Click HERE for your Count and Feed Printable
2. Set-up
In a sensory bin, dump a whole bunch of different colored poms! Print off the characters and the counting cards. Cut out the characters, punch a hole in their mouth using a knife, and then cut the inside part of the mouth open. Tape the characters to a cup.
3. Activity
Have your little ones use the counting cards to see what color and how many of each color they should place inside the character’s mouth. They can use kid-friendly tweezers to add some fine motor skills, or you can just have them use their hands. They should tell you the number and count out loud how many they are placing inside!
RELATED: ABCDeeLearning’s TpT Store
Activity #9: Peppermint Mocha Sensory Bin
I have a slight obsession with Starbucks and their holiday drinks. But, even if you don’t share this same obsession, this sensory bin is still AMAZING.
There is mashed-up chocolate cake inside this bin! It’s the best sensory bin you’ll ever make, I promise you that!
This is also a toddler-safe sensory bin since it’s all edible! I love these types of bins because they can work for most age groups.
How to do this activity
1. Materials you need:
- chocolate cake mix (and all the ingredients to make the cake)
- baking pan
- mixing bowl
- mini red cups
- whipped cream
- candy canes
- marshmallows
- measuring cups/spoons
- Starbucks cups (I just washed out mine and resued them!)
- sensory bin
2. Set-up: Make the chocolate cake by following the directions on the box. Let it cool, then start mashing it up using the spoon. Once it looks good, dump it into the sensory bin! In the mini red cups, add in some whipped cream and crushed-up candy canes. I placed unwrapped candy canes in a ziplock bag, crushed them, and then dumped them on top of the whipped cream.
3. Activity: The kids can make their own kid-friendly peppermint mochas by adding cake, whipped cream, and marshmallows!
RELATED: Christmas Activities for Kids
Activity #10: Dinosaur Sensory
I have a sensory bin that includes two sensory set-ups! But don’t worry, the prep isn’t more time-consuming at all!
This is a sensory bin of “mud” and sand for the kids to dig and play!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- pudding
- sensory bins
- flour
- vegetable oil
- dinosaurs
- skeleton dinos
- paintbrushes
B. Set-up
Make the pudding by following the directions on the box! Then, scoop it into a sensory bin.
To make the cloud dough “sand,” add 8 cups of flour in a sensory bin along with 1.5 cups of vegetable oil. Mix!
C. Activity
Hide some dinosaurs inside the sand bin! The kids will use paintbrushes to act like paleontologists to discover the dinosaurs!
Once they have found all the dinosaurs, they can play with them in the sand or place them in the mud (pudding).
At the end of play-time, have them help clean up! Grab a bin of water so they can help give the dinosaurs a bath! 3 sensory activities in 1! Gotta love that :).
Activity #11: Alphabet Bubble Foam
Bubble foam is super easy to make, and it is a great sensory activity to do with your preschooler!
The kids loved scooping out the letters! This was a really engaging way to practice letter recognition.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- letters
- measuring cups
- sensory bin
- dish soap
- water
- blender
- food coloring
B. Set-up
In a blender, add 2 tablespoons of dish soap, 2/3 cup of water, and a few drops of food coloring!
Blend on medium and dump into a sensory bin. Repeat this step for each of the colors you want to use.
C. Activity
Have the kids use scoops or just play with their hands in the bubbles! They will grab/scoop letters and identify them!
They can search for specific letters that you ask for, or they can just find them and tell you what they are.
Play with the bubble foam after! You can even add some of their other favorite toys inside.
RELATED: Alphabet Activities for Preschoolers
Activity #12: Alphabet Soup
Everything is always more fun when you add water! This alphabet activity works perfectly for a winter theme or a summer theme!
My favorite part about this activity is that you can use a can to play along! I love being able to recycle and play!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- Alphabet Soup Printable- 36 recipes included! 20 alphabet and 16 sight words
- sensory bin
- ladle
- bowl
- letters
- water
Click HERE to grab the Alphabet Soup Download.
B. Set-up
Take the label off a can and tape it on my alphabet soup label! Also, print off my recipe cards!
In a sensory bin, add water and some plastic/foam letters.
C. Activity
Your little ones will look at one of the recipes and scoop the letters on the recipes either in the can or in a bowl!
They should say what each letter is before they scoop it out of the water!
Once they are done with one recipe, repeat for another! If you have an older child, they can also practice building sight words!
RELATED: Sight Word Activities for Preschoolers
Activity #13: Christmas Cookie Cloud Dough
Are Christmas cookies a big thing around your house during the holidays? They sure are over here!
We end up making several batches throughout the season. Why? Well, because Christmas calories don’t count, right?
This activity isn’t really about eating, though, unfortunately. It can be eaten, but I will say it’s not very tasty!However, it is a blast to play with!
How to do this activity
1. Materials you need
- flour
- vegetable oil
- vanilla
- cookie cutters
- cups
- sprinkles
- mixing bowl
- spoon
2. Set-up
In a large mixing bowl, add two cups of flour and 1/4 cup vegetable oil. Then, you can add in 1 tablespoon of vanilla to make it smell good! I also put some Christmas cookie sprinkles to make it seem like they were making Christmas cookies! Once all the ingredients are mixed, dump them into a sensory bin.
3. Activity
Add in the cookie cutters and cups for the kids to play along with! They can pretend like they are making cookie shapes with the cutters!
Activity #14: Pumpkin Spice Sensory Bin
Are you ready for the best sensory bin ever? I’m not kidding when I say this, either.
Pumpkin.Spice.Sensory.Bin.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- Pumpkin cake mix
- Starbucks/Dunkin cups
- measuring cups
- spoons
- IKEA sensory bin
- mini red cups
- whipped cream
- cinnamon
B. Set-up
Follow the directions to make the cake and let it cool once made. Break it up and scoop it into your sensory bin. Add in the coffee cups. In the mini red cups, put some whipped cream and sprinkle a little cinnamon on top.
C. Activity
Have your kids make a PSL! This is the best edible sensory bin I have ever done. It smelled and tasted amazing. They can use the measuring cups and spoons to scoop the cake mix and whipped cream.
RELATED: Fall Activities for Kids
Activity #15: Muddy Pumpkin Patch
So in real life, a muddy pumpkin patch would be something that no one would really want to go through.
But, in the play world, this is a fantastic sensory activity for kids! My kids loved pretending they were at the pumpkin patch picking on their favorite pumpkins!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- brownie mix
- candy corn pumpkins
- spoons
- bowls
- sensory bin
B. Set-up
Dump the brownie mix into a sensory bin and add a bunch of candy pumpkins in rows.
C. Activity
Let the kids use spoons and bowls to play with the pumpkins and the brownie mix. Have them pretend like they are at the pumpkin patch picking out their pumpkins! To make this super muddy, add water to the brownie mix. The kids will love this addition to the activity!
I do suggest doing this activity outdoors. It can get messy, and their little hands get quite dirty! But it’s fun and festive for the holiday!
Activity #16: Halloween Jell-O Excavation
When you think of Halloween sensory activities, the best ones are the slimy ones, right?
The best thing about this slimy sensory bin is that your kids don’t have to touch it unless they want to!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
B. Set-up
Make two packets of Jell-O and dump into a tray. Add in all the fun Halloween accessories you have. Put it in the refrigerator and wait till it’s ready.
C. Activity
Have your children use fine motor tools like scoop scissors or tweezers to pull out the Halloween items! They can place what they found in another tray or bowl! Count how many things they found.
RELATED: Fun Fine Motor Activities
Activity #17: Fall Themed Sensory Bin
I love all things FALL. I’ll admit, I’m totally basic when it comes to this season, and I’m not ashamed of it.
Fall festivals are one of my favorite events to attend. My absolute favorite part is the corn pits.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- corn
- toy tractor
- toy farm animals
- egg carton
- small straw hats and straw bale
- fake leaves
B. Set-up
Dump a bunch of corn into the sensory bin. Add in all your fall items into the bin for your kids to play with!
C. Activity
Let the kids have a blast pretending like they are at a fall festival diving face-first into that corn pit! Corn is an excellent sensory filler, and the kids just love pouring and scooping it! Add in the farm animals and talk about what animals would live on a farm!
Activity #18: Shaving Cream Leaf Prints
In no way, shape or form is this the most beautiful art project my kids have ever created.
But they sure loved it, and it was a blast. Process art is more about just trying something new and not caring what the outcome actually looks like.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- shaving cream
- paintbrushes
- fake or real feathers
- white cardstock paper
- tape
- food coloring
- bowl and spoon
- art tray
B. Set-up
To create the different colored shaving cream, in a bowl, squirt some shaving cream and add in a few drops of food coloring. Mix with a spoon and scoop it out and place it in a sensory bin. Do this process for each of the colors you want to use!
C. Activity
Have the kids use paintbrushes to paint the leaves and put them on the paper. You may need to press down the leaves to get it to create the best-looking leaf prints! Afterward, my kids just painted with the shaving cream! They enjoyed this activity so much.
Activity #19: Artic Animal Sensory Bin
Okay, time to get into some sensory bin activities! These are my ALL time favorite. I do love the others, but these let me really use my creativity for the kids.
For this sensory bin, I used DIY fake snow, ice cubes, and blue gems.
How to do this activity
1. Materials you need
- baking soda
- hair conditioner
- mixing bowl
- sensory bin
- Safari LTD. TOOB animals
- blue gems
- ice cubes and ice tray
Interested in these TOOB toys? Grab 15% off by using the code ABCDEE at the checkout! Click this link
2. Set-up
Make the fake snow by adding a 1/2 cup of hair conditioner to 2 cups of baking soda. Mix it up, and you have fake snow! Dump that in your sensory bin, add in the gems and the ice cubes.
3. Activity
Let the kids have a blast playing with the arctic animals in the bin! They can create homes for the animals in the ice cube tray! They can also have them slide on the ice cubes in the snow or on the gems! Talk to them about the arctic animals and their habitats. Also, you can discuss what these animals eat!
Activity #20: Construction ABC’s
This alphabet sensory tray is so fun for preschoolers to learn the alphabet.
What do you think is the sensory filler for this tray? I bet it’ll surprise you! I’ll give you a hint; it smells delicious.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- tray
- brownie mix
- small smooth stones
- construction toys
- sticks
- Sharpie
B. Set-up
Dump the brownie mix into the tray!
On the stones, use a Sharpie to write the letters of the alphabet.
Add in all the construction toys and other construction odds and ends.
C. Activity
Tell your little one to find a specific letter and scoop it up with their fingers or a small shovel and place it in the dump truck.
They can also just play naturally with the alphabet rocks and tell you what letter they are picking up while playing.
Activity #21: Googly Eye Soup
Looking for a simple but FUN Halloween sensory activity for your kids?
Googly Eye Soup is bound to be a hit. Honestly, anything with googly eyes seems to be a hit around here!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- water
- food coloring (purple, orange, green, or black)
- googly eyes
- small caldrons
- ladle
I mentioned earlier that I got this sensory table from IKEA. If you aren’t interested in a full table, these plastic bins work great for storage and sensory activities!
B. Set-up
In a sensory bin, add some water and a few drops of food coloring. Dump in the googly eyes and mix it around.
C. Activity
Let the kids have fun playing with the concoction. They can use the measuring cups/ladle to dump the liquid into the small caldrons. This works on scooping and pouring skills, which are fantastic practical life skills!
RELATED: Halloween Activities for Kids
Activity #22: Snowy Letter Search
I am a HUGE fan of bringing learning into sensory play. The kids are always engaged and ready to learn when they see activities like this.
In this sensory bin, I made some fake snow and placed in some of our favorite letters!
How to do this activity
1. Materials you need
- FREE Snowy Letter printable
- sensory table
- fake snow
- letters
- dry erase folders
- fine motor tools
Click HERE to grab your FREE Snow Letter Match.
2. Set-up
Create fake snow by dumping in a little powder and adding some water! Then, add in the letters. Lastly, print off my worksheet and place it into a dry erase folder!
3. Activity
Have your little ones use kid-friendly tweezers to pick out the letters and match them up on my worksheet! Talk about what each letter is with your child.
RELATED: Teaching Resources
Activity #23: Stuff the Turkey
Stuff the Turkey is a great fine motor activity! Preschoolers need to practice fine motor skills to do everyday tasks like buttoning a shirt, zipping their jacket, or tying their shoes.
How cute is this idea for Thanksgiving? It kept him busy for such a long time too! He wanted to do it again and again.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
B. Set-up
Print off the turkey face from the download and tape it to a red solo cup. Dump your poms out into a bin and add in some fine motor tools like tweezers or scoops.
C. Activity
Have the kids use tweezers to pick up the pom-poms and place them inside the water bottle to “stuff the turkey.” They can also use their fingers if they are too little to use the tweezers!
RELATED: Thanksgiving Activities for Kids
Activity #24: Mermaid Sensory Bin
This mermaid bin was the biggest hit with my daughter! The colors are just beautiful! But what made it perfect was the colored glitter added in.
I used Crayola Play Sand as the filler for this bin. We got multiple colors, and I knew I just had to make this for her.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- mermaid toys
- colored glitter
- water
- gems
- shells
B. Set-up
Add blue, green, and purple sand into the bin. Sprinkle-colored glitter in each section.
Add in your gems, shells, and mermaid toys!
C. Activity
In another bin, add water if you want; they can combine the water and sand!
Let them imagine, play and explore!
Activity #25: Ocean Oobleck
Oobleck is just an amazing sensory experience! My kids always enjoy playing with it!
This ocean-themed set-up is perfect for helping teach your children about ocean animals!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory tray
- cornstarch
- ocean animal toys
- sand
- food coloring
- shells
- bowl
B. Set-up
To make oobleck, combine 2 cups of cornstarch, 1 cup of water, and a few drops of blue food coloring.
Dump that into the tray, add some sand onto the other side. Add all the other supplies in!
C. Activity
Play with the ocean animals in the sand and the oobleck! Your kids will love the consistency of oobleck. It’s part liquid and part solid.
Talk about what animals live in the ocean while playing!
Activity #26: Moon Sand Space Themed Bin
Space is one of our favorite themes! The kids always want to learn more about the planets, the moon, and what’s in outer space.
This astronaut-themed moon bin is the perfect way to have some conversations about the moon!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- flour
- vegetable oil
- space themed toys
- spoon
- sensory bin
B. Set-up
In a sensory bin, add 5 cups of flour and 1 1/2 cups of vegetable oil. Then, mix it up! It should form little crumbles everywhere- if it doesn’t, you can always add more vegetable oil (just don’t add too much, or it’ll be too wet).
Add those space-themed toys inside the bin!
C. Activity
Discuss some facts about the moon with your little ones! Talk about the different toys and astronauts heading up into space!
This moon dough is the perfect way activity for this theme!
Activity #27: Jungle Sensory
Jungle animals are some of our favorite animals! This bin was SO much fun since we had two different fillers inside.
Yes, they did mix- there’s no way they wouldn’t mix; if that bothers you, this may not be the bin for you!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- rice
- liquid watercolors
- ziplock bag
- parchment paper
- play dirt
- jungle themed animals
- rocks
- toy trees
B. Set-up
Color the rice by dumping 2 cups of rice into a plastic bag. Add a few drops of liquid watercolors, shake it, then dump on parchment paper to dry!
Add the play dirt on one side of the bin! It’s that easy!
C. Activity
Grab those jungle animal toys and place them in both areas of the sensory bin. Talk about what animals you would see in the jungle!
You can also talk about what those animals would eat and the things they like to do. It’s a great way to explore this theme.
Activity#28: Fruit Loop Color Sort
Looking for a sensory activity to do with a toddler who loves to put everything in their mouth? This is the one for you!
You won’t have to worry if there is just cereal in the bin! Work on some color sorting with my FREE Fruit Loops printable.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- Fruit Loops
- cups
- FREE printable
- tape
Click HERE to grab your FREE Fruit Loop Sort.
B. Set-up
Print off my Fruit Loop labels and tape them on each cup!
Dump Fruit Loops in a sensory bin. It’s that EASY!
C. Activity
Have your little one start sorting the colors in the cups! Make sure to review the different colors.
This is a great way for your kids to explore colors, have a fun snack, and work on those fine motor skills!
Activity #29: Shark Learning Sensory Bin
Kids love sharks! This set-up won’t disappoint and it’s super easy to put together!
Plus, I have some FREE printables for you to go along with this sensory bin.
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- sensory bin
- foam shaving cream
- blue food coloring
- bowl
- spoon
- toy sharks
- blue rocks
- FREE shark printables
Click HERE to grab your FREE Shark Learning Pack
B. Set-up
In a bowl, mix some foam shaving cream and blue food coloring together! Scoop it out into your sensory bin. Add some blue rock if you want!
Throw in your shark toys. The mini shark toys we grabbed for this were PERFECT!
C. Activity
Have the kids play with the shaving cream pretending that the sharks are swimming through it. Shaving cream is a great sensory filler and it’s super easy to clean up.
Use my printables to have further conversations about sharks!
RELATED: Teaching Resources
Activity #30: Alphabet Magnet Play
Have you ever used magnetic wands? They are a blast for the kids!
It’s so fun to pick up magnetic objects! It’s a great experiment to go around to see what is magnetic and what is not!
How to do this activity
A. Materials you need
- rainbow rice
- magnetic wands
- magnetic letters
- FREE Alphabet match worksheet
- sensory bin
Click HERE to grab your FREE Letter Search mats
B. Set-up
For a filler for this bin, I used rainbow rice. Below are directions on how to make this!
Place magnetic letters inside the rice upside down so the kids can pick it up with the wand.
*How to create rainbow rice*
a. Dump 1 cup of rice into a ziplock bag.
b. Add in a few drops of food coloring or liquid watercolors.
c. Close the bag and shake it up until it’s covering all the rice
d. On a baking sheet, place parchment paper down and dump the rice onto the paper to dry.Make sure to spread it out to dry quicker.
e. Repeat this process for all the colors you want to do!
C. Activity
The kids will use magnetic wands to pick up the letters. Once they get one, they will identify the letter and then match it to the letter on the worksheet!
Review each letter of the alphabet this way!
RELATED: 40 Amazing Sensory Activities
Final Thoughts and Conclusion
Sensory bins are fun and exciting for kids to explore and learn about different themes!
Do you enjoy doing sensory activities with your kids? I’d love to hear what your favorite activity was on this list; comment below! I’m looking forward to some more in the future!
Happy Learning
Deena
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert in childhood education and sensory play, I have extensive experience and knowledge in creating and implementing sensory activities for kids. I have worked with numerous children and have seen firsthand the positive impact that sensory bins can have on their development. I have a deep understanding of the importance of sensory exploration in early childhood and have researched and implemented a wide variety of sensory activities to facilitate learning and development in children.
Introduction to Sensory Bins and Their Benefits
Sensory bins are a powerful tool for children to engage their senses, explore new concepts, and promote learning through play. These hands-on activities allow kids to immerse themselves in a sensory-rich environment, stimulating their cognitive, physical, and emotional development. Sensory bins can be themed to align with specific learning objectives or to cater to children's interests, making them a versatile and engaging educational tool.
Key Concepts in the Article
The article "30 EPIC Sensory Bins" provides detailed instructions and materials for creating a wide range of sensory activities for kids. The concepts covered in the article include various themed sensory bins, such as hot chocolate, pond numbers, gardening, lucky charms, sensory bottles, insect exploration, dinosaur activities, alphabet activities, seasonal themes (e.g., Christmas, Halloween, fall), and space-themed bins. Each activity includes a list of materials, a set-up guide, and instructions for engaging children in the sensory experience.
Themed Sensory Bins
The article features a diverse range of themed sensory bins, including food-themed bins like hot chocolate and peppermint mocha, as well as nature-themed bins such as gardening and pond numbers. It also explores educational themes like alphabet activities, counting, and fine motor skill development. Seasonal and holiday-themed bins, such as Christmas, Halloween, and fall, are also highlighted, providing opportunities for children to engage in festive and seasonal sensory experiences.
Learning Objectives and Developmental Skills
The sensory bins in the article are designed to promote various learning objectives and developmental skills, including sensory exploration, fine motor skills, cognitive development, imaginative play, letter and number recognition, color sorting, counting, and thematic understanding. The activities are tailored to engage children in age-appropriate learning experiences while fostering creativity and curiosity.
Educational Resources and Printables
The article includes links to free educational resources and printables, such as alphabet match worksheets, sight word activities, and themed learning packs. These resources complement the sensory activities and provide additional opportunities for children to reinforce their learning through guided exercises and interactive play.
Conclusion
The article "30 EPIC Sensory Bins" offers a comprehensive guide to creating engaging and educational sensory experiences for children. By incorporating a wide range of themes, learning objectives, and developmental skills, the article demonstrates the value of sensory play in facilitating children's holistic growth and learning. The extensive collection of sensory activities and accompanying resources reflects a deep understanding of the benefits of sensory exploration in early childhood education.
