7 Preschooler Approved Easy Sensory Bins
Sensory Bins are an excellent way to introduce your child to their various senses. Depending on the contents of your sensory bin, your activity can be focused on visual (sight), tactile (touch), auditory (hearing), olfactory (smell), or gustation (taste). At the end of the day, what matters most is that you combine play with fun. That’s why we are sharing some of our favorite easy sensory bins that we use in the classroom so that you can bring the joy home.
Rainbow Clean Mud Sensory Bin
Colorful AND clean mud? Say no more! We love this idea from ‘Frogs, Snails and Puppy Dog Tails’ for making your mud without any ingredients from the outdoors. All you need to create this rainbow-colored sensory play is toilet paper (or comparable), finger paint, ivory soap, and a cheese shredder. Your little one will have so much fun mixing everything in prep for the creative play.
Soap Foam Sensory Bin
Soap Foam sensory bins are perfect for a summer activity but can be great fun any time of year. What’s even better is that it’s mess-free and can be a good activity when you want to combine your kitchen time with your little one’s playtime. You’ll need a bin, dish soap, water, drink crystals (i.e., kool-aid), and kitchen tools for this activity.
Soothing Lavender Sensory Bin
A lavender sensory bin is great for play on a sunny day or even before bedtime. All you need is water, ice cubes, and lavender (fresh is better) for this craft. Your preschooler will enjoy the refreshing scent and cool watery fun. We recommend adding purple food coloring to the water for a touch of color.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Story Sensory Bin
One of our favorite storytimes reads, ‘The Very Hungry Caterpillar’ is also a fantastic Sensory bin idea from ‘Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes.’ While this particular activity will require a little more crafting from you before it is playtime ready, it will be worth every minute of prep. We also love the idea of combining this sensory play with a re-read of this childhood classic.
Alphabet Soup Sensory Play
If you are searching for easy learning fun to help your little one with the senses AND their ABCs, look no further! This ‘Alphabet Soup’ sensory play presents a few different learning options. Depending on where your little one is in their alphabet, knowledge will determine which way you prefer to shape their play.
Rainbow Spaghetti Sensory Bin
Spaghetti is a great item to use for sensory play since very few households are without a box of noodles somewhere in their pantry. If you are happy to spare a box for play, the only other ingredient you will need is gel food dye and somewhere to put your rainbow-colored noodles once they are complete. Your preschooler will love scooping around this colorful bin that is sure to spark their imagination!
Washing Animals Sensory Bin
This is a great activity for teaching your little one about cleanliness, especially when it comes to their favorite toys. If they happen to have a few figurines in need of a bit of soap and water, then this is the perfect activity to do. All you need is a small plastic bin, soap, and a small towel or sponge. They’ll learn the importance of keeping their toys clean, all while getting to enjoy the sud-filled play.
