Adults should supervise all sensory play activities at all times. Some materials used in these activities are small and can pose a choking hazard to toddlers. Please ensure your child’s safety by closely monitoring their play.
Sensory bins are a fantastic way to engage your little ones in hands-on learning through play. They help with developing independence, creativity, and fine motor skills. These bins can be themed or free-form, allowing children to explore different textures, colors, and objects. This blog post will explore various Montessori sensory bin ideas you can easily create at home. Each idea is designed to be simple, affordable, and engaging for your little one.
So, what are sensory bins?
Sensory bins are play containers (my most trusted recommendation would be the TROFAST / SAMLA box from Ikea). They can be easily sourced from your nearby IKEA store or Amazon. They can be clear or opaque (I prefer white for cleanliness and cohesiveness) plastic boxes.
These sensory bins usually include a base material, such as rice, sand, or water, and are supplemented with themed objects, toys, and tools. They provide a structured yet open-ended environment for children to discover and learn about different textures, colors, and objects, making them invaluable tools in early childhood development.
Dinosaur Excavation Sensory Bin
Travel back in time and learn about fossils, dinosaur discovery, and more. This bin is perfect for kids interested in archaeology and is very simple to set up.
Material Needed:
- Kinetic Sand
- Small dinosaur toys or dinosaur flashcards
- Fossil paper cut out (download the template here or get the whole play set here)
- Paintbrush for excavating brushing
- Plastic/wooden toy shovel
Instructions :
1. Fill the bin with some kinetic sand.
2. Scatter the bone/fossil paper cut-outs & fill the bin with more sand to cover.
3. Encourage your little one to use a shovel & paintbrush to discover the hidden cutouts.
How do I get more from this activity?
Explore your dinosaurs: Encourage your little ones to pick up the flashcards and sound out the names of each dinosaur. Ask about colors and shapes and think about each dinosaur’s ability (e.g. Can it fly? Can it run fast?).
Matching your dinosaur: Encourage your little ones to match the bones/fossils found to the dinosaur they think it belongs to. Doing this will enhance their matching skills & hand-eye coordination.
Pom-Poms Colors Sorting Bin
This bin focuses on helping toddlers learn to identify and sort colors. It’s a fun way to help them learn about colors while practicing hand-eye coordination.
Insert a photo of the colour-sorting bin
Materials Needed:
- Colored pom-poms (in different shapes & sizes)
- Muffin tin or small containers for sorting
- Tongs or chopsticks
- A large plastic bin
Instructions:
- Fill the bin with the colored pom-poms
- Place the muffin tin or small containers nearby and label them with different colors.
- Let your little ones start sorting the pom-poms by colors into the muffin tin or containers.
How do I get more from this activity?
- Say the color out loud each time your little one picks up a pom-pom.
- Encourage them to use the tools to pick up the pom-poms to help develop their hand-eye coordination and concentration skills.
Alphabet Sensory Bin
An alphabet sensory bin is a fantastic way to combine sensory play with early literacy skills. This engaging activity encourages toddlers to explore letters through touch and sight, helping them become familiar with the alphabet in a fun and interactive manner. By incorporating different textures and colors, an alphabet sensory bin can captivate your child’s attention while promoting fine motor skills, letter recognition, and cognitive development.
Material Needed :
- Shredded paper
- Alphabet puzzles & pieces
- One plastic bins
Instructions :
- Fill the bin with shredded paper
- Add in the alphabet pieces
- Leave the puzzle board on the other side for your little ones to match the alphabet
- Encourage your kid to find the alphabet pieces and match them
How do I get more from this activity?
Encourage your little one to sound out the alphabet, or join them to make a word that includes the alphabet (ie. A for apple, B for bees, etc)
Mini Garden Sensory Bin
Turn your toddler’s playtime into a fun gardening adventure with this garden-themed sensory bin! This hands-on activity stimulates their senses and introduces basic gardening concepts and plant identification engagingly.
Material Needed :
- Black beans or brown rice (to represent soil)
- A wooden/plastic container (like photo) or a flower pot
- Wooden or plastic vegetable cutouts (carrot, onion, cabbage, beet, and green onion)
- Small gardening tools (spade, trowel)
Instructions :
- Fill the container with black beans or brown rice.
- Fill the pots with beans or rice and bury the wooden vegetables/vegetable cutouts.
- Add the small gardening tools to the bin.
- Encourage your toddler to explore by planting and harvesting the vegetables.
Montessori sensory bins are a wonderful way to engage toddlers in hands-on learning. These easily accessible ideas can be created with items you likely already have at home. Incorporating sensory play into your child’s routine fosters their curiosity, creativity, and fine motor skills. Try out these sensory bin ideas and watch your toddler explore and learn in a fun, interactive way.
Remember always to supervise your child during sensory play to ensure they stay safe and get the most out of their experience. Happy playing!
If you enjoy this blog post, you may also like these posts :
- 10 Pretend Play Sets that Should Be on Your Wishlist Right Now!
- How to Make the Perfect Toddler Morning Basket
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