I’m fortunate to have the opportunity to work alongside very creative individuals, so when someone offered to show me how to make a sensory bin, I was instantly intrigued. I’ve seen sensory bins all over Pinterest and Instagram, but have always thought that they seemed like too much work for me to tackle on my own. It turns out I couldn’t have been more wrong!
- Rice
- Vinegar
- Food colouring
- Assorted toys and scoopers
Tutorial by Little Bins for Little Hands
As someone who almost always has rice in the house, this was a great idea for creating an enriching play opportunity! It doesn’t take much vinegar for the dye process, and the rice dries fairly quickly, especially if you spread it out. Dollarama can be a great source for those ‘filler’ toys, but you can also make do with whatever you have in your home! As you can tell, this particulary bin repurposed plastic cups and decorative plastic plants along with dinosaur toys.
The only thing that you have to know about sensory bins is that children will inevitably make a mess, even if they are the sweetest, most well-intentioned little ones out there. However, when you consider the benefits to the child, including sensory input that can be regulating, opportunities for exploration and free play, chances for language modelling and practice, and gross and fine motor practice, a temporary mess is well worth it. After all, rice is easily swept up, so no harm no foul, and this bin has been a great hit with the clients that I have brought it out with.
In the end, the possibilities for sensory bins is only limited by your imagination. There are so many different fillers available, ranging from food items (e.g., rice, dried pasta, beans) to objects (e.g., water beads, cotton balls, shredded paper), and there are so many possible themes you could explore! I am confident that for any child, there is a potential sensory bin that they would enjoy playing with. Do you have any success stories or ideas for future bins? I would love to hear them!
Until next time, happy crafting!