I am SO excited to share in today’s post because it is sharing one of my very favorite kid activities: the sensory bin! Why am I so crazy about sensory bins? Not only are they crucial to promoting learning and developmental skills, but kids love them and when executed properly, can create an excellent opportunity for independent play (read: a few minutes for YOU!)
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Why do I love sensory bins?
Wondering what’s so special about a little rice or water in a container? Well, let me tell you what’s up. Sensory bins build a solid foundation for so many important life skills, and because we know children learn best through play, it is an excellent way to make learning fun! What exactly do they learn?
Hands-on, tactile play:
As the name implies, sensory play involves using multiple senses. Your child will see and touch the rice. Scooping the rice into a container and pouring it out makes a sound they can hear. Occasionally, they will smell and taste the bin filler– you can even choose sensory activities expressly for this purpose like this cherry jello bear rescue!
Language development:
As your child plays, narrate what they’re doing so they learn the terms! “Dump, dump!” or “scoop the rice!” or “fill the cup!” Soon they will use the terms themselves. Jack loves bringing a truck or his farm animals to play and acts out all sorts of scenarios with them. All while narrating in his own jargon!
Fine motor skill development:
There are all sorts of opportunity for fine motor skill development in sensory play. Picking up rice in their palm, pinching individual pieces, moving each finger to poke, and the hand-eye coordination making it all possible! As their motor skills develop, the introduction of tools like tongs or tweezers will level-up their coordination.
Cognitive development:
Filling a container with rice introduces basic math and science concepts. The rice is flat on the bottom of the bin, but when scooped and dumped into the cup, it suddenly becomes a sneaky lesson in physics and volume! Sensory play also involves trial and error, and important life skills like transferring material from one container to another. This pumpkin-washing bin not only introduces fluid dynamics but emphasizes life skills and good hygiene.
Developing self-control:
Believe it or not, it will take a whole lot of control for your kiddo not to just dump the whole bin out. With your guidance encouraging them to keep the rice inside the bin, they will learn SO much about self control.
As you make more complex bins, you’ll have to tailor your “rules.” Bins without edible filler will need a “no tasting” rule. Your child will learn that similar-but-different situations will have different rules. This is an important realization!
With benefits like these, is it any wonder why I love sensory bin activities so much?!
Ready to dive in for yourself?
Making your first sensory bin:
Getting started:
If you’ve never done a sensory bin before or your kiddo is a new toddler, don’t overwhelm yourself or your kid! Get a five pound bag of rice from the grocery store and a plastic storage tub (I like these!)
Dump the rice into the bin, throw a bed sheet down on the kitchen floor, and place the tub in the middle of the sheet. Or set it up outside, like we did to start!
Setting up:
For first timers, you won’t need many manipulatives or tools. I gave Jack a scoop and a large Dunkin Donuts cup! He had a great time scooping rice into the big cup! As you become a seasoned sensory bin team, you can add more receptacles and different scoops.
Things you have on hand make great beginner bin tools!
- Scoops from coffee cans, protein powder, or thoroughly-cleaned laundry powder
- Plastic to-go cups or empty sippy cups without lids
- Ice cube trays or muffin tins
- Tupperware or bowls
- Measuring cups or scoops
- Serving spoons
Diving in:
This step is important: take a deep breath. Your first bin might get messy. Your 100th bin might get messy. Believe it or not, toddlers are messy beings LOL. As a parent, you cannot control whether or not your child makes a mess. You CAN control your reaction to it.
If rice gets outside the bin:
- Scoop it up with an enthusiastic “Uh-oh! Rice stays IN the bin!” Toddlers love a good uh-oh!
- Redirect their hands so they stay over the bin.
- Demonstrate play where rice stays neatly inside the bin– it’s fun! I promise.
If the SHTF and all else fails, it should stay on the sheet and can easily be picked up. Stragglers can get vacuumed. I repeat: take a breath!
For your first few bins, this will be a team sport. You WILL have to sit on the floor with your kiddo and be engaged. As they get older and their attention span and motor skills grow, a sensory bin is a great independent activity. In fact, I am writing this post while Jack plays in a bin!
Have you made sensory bins at home with your kids? What has been your favorite bin? Why is sensory play important to you? Tell me in the comments!
Danielle says
We love sensory bins at our house!
Cassie says
I have a wild toddler boy, and sensory bins are life! Great thoughts here!
Nicole says
What a great idea! I’m a new mom, so this will be great for when my little girl is a little older!