2 Spring Sensory Bins For Toddlers
We are currently in the in between season here in the Midwest that we call False-Spring. Where some days are warm enough to enjoy being outside and our snow is melted, and then other days it’s snowing again! So since we can’t go outside and play in the dirt just yet, I made 2 sensory bins around some spring concepts: planting & puddles. These sensory bins will allow preschoolers and toddlers to explore spring concepts, bugs, ‘dirt’, bright and colorful florals, and so much more!
WHAT IS A SENSORY BIN?
A sensory bin/tub is a large container (typically, we just work with what we have at the house) that is filled with materials and objects. These objects are carefully, and age appropriately, selected to stimulate the senses. A sensory bin can be filled with a large variety of different materials such as shredded paper, dried beans, water, dried noodles, sand, and more.
WHY SHOULD I MAKE A SENSORY BIN?
If you have read some of my previous posts, then you know that child-directed play and the Montessori methods have quite the influence on my parenting styles. Well, research shows that sensory play helps build nerve connections in the brain’s pathways, which lead to the child’s ability to complete more complex learning tasks. Sensory play supports language development, cognitive growth, fine and gross motor skills, problem solving skills, and social interaction. Talk about a learning experience! The senses are also the main form of how children learn! So we like to let Evelyn explore and use her senses to build her own theories and hypothesis.
Let them concentrate
When I introduce a new sensory activity, I always let Evelyn fully concentrate on it and explore it fully before I give any form of instruction or guidance. A child’s ability to concentrate is a developing skill and requires the opportunity to practice in order to master. When children are engaged in an interesting activity, they are simultaneously practicing their ability to remain engaged, to attend to other activities, and to mange multiple stimuli without losing the capacity to concentrate on just one. So parents when you notice that your child is paying attention to something, like their sensory bin, be sure to just wait for your child’s attention to break and allow them to play independently before interrupting.
Planting Sensory Bin
Materials Needed:
Dry Beans (or you can use crushed Oreos or real dirt)
Fruit/vegetable of choice for planting
Small planters (we used toilet paper rolls cut in half)
Toy Bugs
Age Appropriate Gardening Tools
I chose to do dried beans because we already had them on hand, so you can use whatever you have on hand for these two bins! I also choose an edible base for my sensory bins because they are biodegradable and I can buy them in bulk. But if you’d rather use black/brown crinkle paper, crushed Oreos, real dirt, and anything else that resembles dirt then go right ahead!
I got the bugs from Michaels, but I’ve seen them at the dollar store too! Then Evelyn already had a wooden carrot game with various sized carrots and I used part of her beach toys set. The blue thing in her hand is a sifter, then she had a little spade, and shovel.
Flower soup
We initially tried to play with this one in the bathtub, but she wanted to stand instead. So make sure to have some towels on hand depending on how or where you plan on playing with this bin.
Materials used
Water
Toy Bugs
Various fake flowers or real flowers
Strainer, spoon, ladle, shovel
Evelyn loves to splash, wash, and play in water so I knew she’d love this one! I want to do this again with real flower parts and a poster to name the parts of plants. But for now, I just dissected some fake flowers that I found on sale at Michael’s. Evelyn liked to scoop them out into her sifter to save them from the water.
I also always include a variety of scooping objects so she can learn about volume, size, and pouring.
If you want to see the sensory bins in action, be sure to watch the video below and subscribe to our YouTube Channel!