Are sensory bins worth it?

Sensory bins are a great way to allow children to explore multiple senses at the same time in a fun way . This includes touch, smell, sight, and even sound. Learning to engage with and stimulate several senses at once in a healthy way is incredibly beneficial and loads of fun!

How do you organize sensory bin items?

I often pick a base color for my bins so I keep the colored items sorted this way and an get to them easily for bins or even other activities regarding colors . In the white drawers, I keep extra random supplies for the bins and for other Tot Tray activities.

Why are sensory bins good for autism?

Another benefit of sensory bins for children with autism is that they allow kids to explore their senses and creativity . Your child can stimulate multiple senses at once while running their hands through the filler materials and playing with the various toys.

What are the rules for the sensory bins?

Use visual supports to help your learners remember the rules for the sensory bins ( use hands only, put on lid when finished, complete seek and find, raise hand if you need help, keep the materials in the box .) Use a visual timer to help your students transition when the time comes.

How deep should a sensory bin be?

If the child can play with a bin while seated on the floor, the depth might not be a big issue. But, if the child is sitting on an adapted chair at a table, be sure not to select a container that is too deep. Ideally, sensory bins should be wide and shallow .

How often should I change my sensory bin?

Depending on how often your sensory bin gets used, we recommend cleaning your sensory bin at home about every 3 weeks . Food items like rice and beans should be thrown away and replaced.

What age to start sensory bins?

Sensory bins are good for children over 18 months of age . Before they're 18 months old, sensory bins are not developmentally appropriate because the possible hazards outweigh the benefits.

Who needs sensory bins?

Sensory bin play activities for toddlers and preschoolers promote cognitive development. Some activities, like sorting objects, require problem-solving skills since the child has to identify similarities and differences to separate similar objects.

Can adults use sensory bins?

Geared towards adults and seniors , the individual adult sensory bin has a combination of calming tactile sensory experiences plus the beloved chime hart which produces a gentle auditory experience.

How do you make a homemade bottle sensory?

Glitter sensory bottles are simple to make and offer lots of visual stimulation. To create one: Combine hot water and glitter glue in a plastic bottle and shake until the glue is dissolved . Add extra glitter and secure the lid closed with super glue .

How do you make a simple sensory toy?

- Use hair gel and mix with 6 parts warm water and fine glitter if you wish then pour into the bottle. Add plastic toys such as lego bricks. Put the lid on and see if the bricks move. If they don't then empty some of the liquid and add more warm water.

What are sensory bins made of?

Sensory bins are simply containers filled with materials that excite a child's senses . They can be filled with dry food (pasta, beans, legumes, rice, etc.), shredded paper, or even water! They promote learning through hands-on play opportunities. (No flashcards or worksheets here!

How many water beads does it take to fill a sensory bin?

I actually prefer 1 tsp of water beads per 1 1/2 cups of water . Otherwise, you end up with too much excess water in the bin! Just fill your bin with the amount of water that you would like to use, sprinkle the water beads throughout, and watch them grow!

How to Make a Sensory Bin: Everything You Need to Know

Learn how to make the best sensory binsto entertain and teach your child, and to facilitate creative thinking and fine-motor development.

Some of the hooligans, now 8, 9 and 10 years old still talk about the sensory bins they loved best during their early years here in my daycare. Those bins made such an impression that the kids still recall the feelings they had exploring the bin, the exciting discoveries they made, and um… how much they smelled like shaving cream for the rest of the day, even though it was more than half a life-time ago for them.

I know what some of you are thinking…

“No way! My kid would make a huge mess with a bin of rice or corn kernels”, or“Are you crazy? My toddler would just want to eat everything in the bin!”.

To minimize the mess:

First of all, if you’re worried about the mess, put a tablecloth,sheet or towel under your sensory bin. That way, you can tip spills back into the bin when your child finishes playing. Alternatively, your kid can play with their sensory bin outdoors where messes won’t matter.

Give clear instructions:

Secondly, give your child clear instructions for playing with the bin. Explain that the contents are not to be eaten or tossed around. Supervise the play to ensure things don’t get out of hand, and you’ll find that thejoyand the developmental benefits that a sensory bin provides willoutweigh any mess.

A world of discovery in a box

A great sensory bin is like a world of discovery in a box. It encourages open-ended play and provides endless opportunities for experimenting and learning.

Today, I’m sharing some tips and suggestions, and some examples of our favourite bins to help you create the very best sensory bins for your children and students.

In this post, we’ll discuss:

The Benefits of aSensory Bin
Good Containers for Sensory Bins
Suggested Themes (with Photo Examples) to Get You Started
Base Materials to Use in a Snsory Bin
Interesting Items to Put in a Sensory Bin
Good Tools and Instruments for Sensory Bin Play

What are the benefits of asensory bin?

There are many benefitsto playing with sensory bins. For starters, ourability to learn and retain new knowledge and information is enhanced when multiple senses are engaged. This is why sensory bins are so oftenrecommended for play and learning.

A sensory bin will also:

encourage critical thinking – a child willproblem-solve, make observations and conclusions as he scoops, pours and measures
foster imagination – your child may pretend to be a baker or a scientist with the instruments you’ve provided.
strengthen fine-motor skillsas your child manipulates tweezers and tongs and other small items in the bin
build language skills and introduce new vocabulary when new and unfamiliar items are used in the bin
be a wonderful addition to your curriculum as you can make a bin for almost any theme at all.
provide hours of play and learning.

Before you make your sensory bin, decide on:

what kind of container to use for your sensory bin
a themefor your sensory bin
what to use as a base for your sensory bin
toys/materials to fill your bin with
tools and instruments to provide withyour sensory bin

I’m going to talk about all of those things, and I’ll share photos of many of the popular sensory bins that I’ve made for the hooligans here in my home daycare.

Feel free to duplicate them in your home, daycare or preschool classroom.

How to Make a Sensory Bin:

Choose a container:

The size of the container you choose for your sensory bin will depend on how many children will be playing with it.

For a small sensory bin:

For one or two children, these work well:

a shallowcardboard box
a foil roasting pan
a small baking dish
a shallow Tupperware container
dish tub

For travel and on the go:

If you want to make a sensory bin to take with you when travelling or visiting, choose a container with a lid.

Here are some examples of small containers I’ve used for our sensory bins:

A small baking dish serves as a tiny ocean

A construction site sensory bin in a foil roasting pan

A dinosaur small world in a dollar store plasticsaucer

For a larger sensory bin:

For 2 or more children, you’ll want a larger container so the kids can gather around it comfortably. These work well:

a new, un-used litter box
large, shallow cardboard box
shallow storage container

Choose a theme:

For the theme of your bin, choose something that your child is passionate about. You can always opt for a theme that is new to your child too, as that will offer lots of opportunity for learning.Dinosaurs, farm,ocean,and constructionthemes are always popular here.

Dinosaur Sensory Bin

Construction Sensory Bin in a cardboard box

Deep Blue Sea Sensory Bin

Farm Animal Toy Wash

Holiday themes are great for sensory bins too. I’ve made some great Valentines, Christmasand Halloween bins for the hooligans.

Valentines Sensory Bin

Nativity Sensory Bin

Halloween Sensory Bin

Sometimes I choose a popular trend for the theme of our sensory bin. For example, our “Frozen” sensory bin and our Polly Pocket Pool Party were both very popular with the hooligans.

I scour the toy room and my craft cupboards to find the items for our sensory bins. Animals, vehicles, characters and small accessories are always great. The dollar store and thrift shops are great places to find interesting items too.

“Frozen” Sensory Bin with White Rice, Cotton Balls and Plastic Gems

Choose a base material for your sensory bin:

For your sensory bin base, items and substances that are interesting to look at and touch. Textured items that make a nice sound when you run your fingers through them are wonderful.

Rice and dry pasta are two bases that I use often in my sensory bins. Sometimes I leave it in its natural state, and sometimes I colour it. See how to dye rice here, and see how to dye pasta here.

Suggested base materials:

rice
lentils
pasta
oatmeal
mud
sand
coffee beans
dried coffee grounds
lentils
corn kernels
bird seed
shredded paper
water, coloured water, soapy water
coloured ice cubes
shaving cream
snow
water beads
aquarium stones

Coffee grounds make an excellent base for a construction site bin.

Waterbeads are amazing in a water bin or shaving cream bin, or on their own in a shallow basin with toys hidden among them.

Sensory Play with Corn Kernels and Chestnuts

Snow Sensory Bin with Little Tykes Characters and Vehicles

Sensory Bin with Shaving Cream and Glitter

Items to put in a sensory bin:

To make your sensory bin intriguing, add lots of small, interesting items. Along with little toys and accessories, I often incorporate natural materials into our sensory bins because their colours, shapes and scents and textures are wonderful to explore, and they help children to connect with nature.

Some of my favourite natural materials for sensory bins are:

leaves
sticks
stones
small gourds
chestnuts
acorns
pinecones
flower petals
sea shells

Fairy Mud Sensory Bin

Other items that add interest:

beads
buttons
dollar store gemstones
artificial flowers/fruit/vegetables
ribbons
pom poms
small wooden blocks
foam shapes
magnetic letters
cotton balls
fabric scraps
magnetic letters

I Spy Sensory Bin with Coloured Rice and Random Small Items

Add toolsand instruments:

In a construction bin or a farm or ocean bin, you may not want to add tools and instruments, because the vehicles and animals may be enough, but for more experimental bins, your child will require them to examine and explore the bin’s contents. Some of my favourite tools and instruments play to include in a sensory binare:

tweezers
tongs
small spoons
scoops
magnifying glass
small bowls
measuring cups
basters
syringes
ice cube trays
muffin tins
baby food jars

These tools and instruments are all great for strengthening fine-motor skills, and coordination.

Adding an assortment of scoops, tongs, small jars and containers will take your sensory bin to a new level as children pour, sort and sift the contents of the bin!

The best thing about a sensory bin is the endless entertainment, skill-development and learning it provides. The next best thing, is that you can create countless bins using items that you already have on hand.

You know what that means… hours of good, old-fashioned play without spending a dime!

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Jackie Currie

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.

How to Make a Sensory Bin: Everything You Need to Know - Happy Hooligans (2024)