19 Amazing Sensory Bins for Preschool - Taming Little Monsters (2024)

FAQs

Are sensory bins safe for 2 year olds? ›

Short answer: yes. Creating sensory bins for toddlers allows them to build skills and understanding through play-based, hands-on learning. Sensory bins are easy, in-expensive, and effective for supporting toddler in their growth and development – but (spoiler alert) they don't have to be messy to be fun.

Some of the most popular sensory bin fillers include water, sand, dry rice, dry beans, popcorn kernels, water beads and shaving cream. These items are great to use in sensory bins for toddlers once they can understand not to eat them.

Sensory play is any activity that stimulates our senses – touch, sight, hearing, smell and taste. It helps children interact with and make sense of the world that surrounds them.

If you have a young baby you want to do taste-safe sensory play with, I would recommend sticking with things like the cereal o's (like Cheerios). I used stale cereal o's, ground graham crackers (just put in a blender), oats, ground cereal o's, baby cereal, and puffed rice (rice krispies).

10 Dollar Store Sensory Bins for Toddlers

Play Dough Invitation to Play – Blue play doh, gems, and pom poms make a perfect setup for toddlers to create their own mini world, all while exploring different textures. Throw in a few animals and cookie cutters, and they'll be busy for hours.

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.

Typically, we'd think of sensory play as any kind of play-based activity that engages at least one of the five senses – touch, taste, sight, sound and smell.

Sensory Calming Activities provide sensory input and help to meet your child's sensory processing needs. They can help your child to become calm, self regulated and less fidgety. These sensory calming activities can also reduce your child's stress and anxiety.

Food Colouring Method

Mix a tablespoon of vinegar with a bit of food colouring. I use Wilton gel food colouring as the colours are so vibrant. Add the mixture to the bag of rice and scrunch and shake the bag until the rice is covered. If the colour is not vibrant enough you can always add a little more food colouring.

How to make a jello sensory bin? ›

DIRECTIONS. Following the directions on the back of your Jello box, combine your gelatin mix and water in a mixing bowl. Once you've stirred the jello mixture, let it cool slightly then pour it into your plastic sensory bin (you want it to be cool enough that it won't melt the plastic of your sensory bin).

There are many other edible sensory and messy play ideas that you could try yourself, for example Oobleck (cornflour and water), tapioca pearls (as an alternative to waterbeads), any water play (add sponges, cut up fruit or make it into ice), cereal for scooping and pouring… the list is endless!

I would add about 1.5 cups of rice to a ziplock bag, add in the vinegar and then the food coloring and shake really well. Then I'd spread on a baking sheet and allow to dry – usually overnight.

But do you know why they're so vital and why they're even more important for children as they grow? Sensory play focuses on activities that engage your child's senses, helping them develop language skills and motor skills. It also helps with cognitive growth, fosters social interactions and encourages experimentation.

Sensory bins can support cognitive development as children sort hidden items by size or color. Putting number and letter shapes into the sensory bin can provide children the opportunity to learn the alphabet, their numbers and gain practice with counting and spelling.