If you have a young child, chances are you’ve heard of sensory bins. If you haven’t, then this is a great starting place. Basically a sensory bin is a container that holds something textured and something to play with that textured item. Vague enough? Sensory bins can be incredibly diverse. They can also be as simple or complicated as you want to make them. I would dare to say that the most simple sensory bin is a bucket of water and a cup.
Related: Prepare For Success As A Mom
To successfully make a sensory bin all you have to accomplish is that your kid had fun. If you’ve done that then in my book you have been successful.
Related: Baby Safe Sensory Play
Base
There are so many things you can use as a base. This list is not all inclusive, just a bunch of ideas to get you started. Technically you can use two items from this list and it would be a great sensory bin all on its own.
- Beans
- Rice
- Cereal
- Kinetic sand
- Pasta
- Oats
- Popcorn kernels
- Rocks
- Feathers
- Pipe cleaners
- Pom pom’s
- Marshmallows
- Straws
- Noodles
- Chia seeds
- Yogurt
- Water beads
- Slime
- Ooblek
- Shaving cream
- Pudding
- Jello
- Water
- Ice
Add Ins
Things you add into your textures item can be anything! This list doesn’t include everything. If you think it will work well, try it out. The worst that can happen is that you have to cut the time with that item short because it didn’t work.
- Lids
- Measuring cups
- Measuring spoons
- Rocks
- String
- Large beads
- Blocks
- Smallish balls
- Sand castle materials
- Cotton balls
- Cars
- People
- Dinosaurs
- Animals
- Cookie cutters
- Easter eggs
- Fake flowers
- Scrub brushes
- Sponge
Creative Combinations
Here are a few ideas for things you can combine from the two lists for creative play!
- Dinosaurs (chocolate pudding & dinosaurs)
- Construction (beans & construction cars)
- Car wash (cars & scrub brushes & water)
- Under the sea (water beads & sea creatures)
- Gardening (fake flowers & flower pots & Cocoa Puffs
- Sky ( cotton balls & blue rice)
- Beach (blue hello & ground cheerios & people
- Prehistoric swamp (green chia seed & dinosaurs)
- Ice chipping (freeze small animals in a chunk of ice- kids chip at it to get to them)
