When children are preschool age, play is learning. Formal instruction isn’t needed at this time because learning is everywhere! Children this age are developing so quickly that they are learning every day. Just including our kids in what we are doing and talking to them goes a long way in helping them develop.
Many parents are looking for educational activities for kids that develop age appropriate skills and sensory bins are an excellent way to do that. Sensory bins can be created very easily with things you have at home or a quick trip to the dollar store.
Sensory bins can be created to practice many different skills depending on what you fill it with and what you want your children to do with it. The sky really is the limit. Some skills typically practiced through sensory bins are:
- Gross motor skills like scooping and pouring (also a fine motor skill);
- Sorting like items;
- Fine motor skills like pinching, beading, and digging;
- Matching;
- Imaginative play, etc.
Outside of the skills developed, sensory bins can provide a way of connection between the parent and child. Time spent together is so important. You can use a sensory bin as a way to help cultivate an environment of learning in your home.
Any type of shallow bin or tub can be used for your sensory bin. If you have one with a lid you can leave it set up in between and not have to worry about your little one getting into it! Find a bin around your house or pick one up at the dollar store and you’re ready to begin!
TIP: Keep a reusable plastic table cloth or shower curtain on hand and put it down under your sensory bin. You’ll thank me when it’s time to clean up!
Now let’s build a sensory bin!
Step 1: Select Your Base Material
Traditionally, sensory bins begin with some type of small objects for kids to dig in, pour, scoop, sort, or generally create a mess with. It is so good for kids to get their hands in there and have a tactile experience. When selecting your base material, keep in mind the age of your kid and their responsibility level. If they are still at the “put everything in mouth” stage, you may want to choose something edible like rice, beans or dry cereal. If you are using water, which all kids love, you would want to make sure you are supervising young kids.
Here are a few ideas for sensory bin bases:
- Dried beans, rice or cereal;
- Water, with or without soap to make bubbles;
- Decorative grass (this is fun at Easter);
- Kinetic sand or real sand;
- Snow;
- Pom poms;
- Water beads or regular beads.
Water is something all kids enjoy and a bonus is that it is free! You can even just pull chairs up to the sink, fill it up with some water and soap and let the kids ‘wash’ their toys. Sensory items you can reuse by saving in the container or a plastic bag make these activities more budget friendly.
Whatever you decide to use, you don’t need too much of it. As long as you fill your container about ⅓ of the way you will be ready to add some tools!
Step 2: Add Some Tools
Now that you have your container ready with a fun material, you need some tools for your child to use to scoop, dump, and dig with. Some ideas would be specific to what your base material is, but really you just want a way for the kids to engage with it.
Some sensory bin tool ideas to include are:
- Measuring cups;
- Beach toys;
- Wooden spoons;
- Funnels;
- Small tupperware;
- Tongs;
- Anything you want.
If this was all you included, this would still be a fun activity for your preschoolers. The scooping, dumping, pinching, and shoveling are excellent tools to boost fine motor skills. Really, sensory bins allow you to bring inside the types of things kids would naturally do outside!
If you want to take it a step further, there are many more things you can add.
Step 3: Make it a Theme
This is an optional step. Just putting some water and cups into a bin is enough for your children to have so much fun! If you are feeling extra creative or want to add a little extra educational value, here are a few of the endless sensory bin theme ideas for learning.
Chicka Chicka Boom Boom
Most preschool families have read this beloved children’s book, whether they own it or borrow it from the library. Read this book together and then allow your child free play in a sensory bin of letters.
You can use whatever type of letters you want. Magnetic, foam, puzzle pieces, any letters will work. The base material of the sensory bin can also be whatever you’d like. Rice or beans is an easy one. Bury the letters in the rice and have your child find the letters and then put them where they go – on a magnetic board where you draw a tree and write the letters for them to match up, in a puzzle, on a piece of paper with letters written on it.
Increase the difficulty by having them pick the letters up with tongs!
Easter Theme
Fill your bin with some fake coloured grass and one open plastic Easter egg of each colour. Mix them all around and have your child search for the matching halves of each egg and put them together. This is great for fine motor development as well as colour matching.
You could also hide little items like puzzle pieces in the eggs and keep them together when hiding. Kids can dig through for the eggs, open them and retrieve what is inside. You could put little items that have to do with the crucifixion and resurrection story in each egg and as the child opens an egg have them tell you what that item has to do with the Easter story. Or after they collect all the items, have them use them to tell you the Easter story.
Palaeontology Theme
I think this one goes without saying, but put some real sand or kinetic sand in your bin and put some bones in it. You can find palaeontology toy kits on Amazon or even at the Dollar Store! Add some little rakes and shovels and you’re set!
You could also just get some little plastic dinosaurs at the Dollar Store (or maybe you already have them at home) and bury them in the sand. Digging for anything is so much fun!
Don’t overthink it! Think of what would excite your child and what you’d like them to learn or experience and just go for it. Our children are so special and wonderful that anything excites them. They will have joy with whatever you prepare for them, especially if that includes time with you! Remember, educational activities at this age look mostly like play!
Be Your Child’s Teacher — Beyond Preschool
The early years aren’t about keeping up. They’re about building a strong foundation and growing a strong parent-child relationship.
Homeschooling in the early years allows learning to grow at your child’s pace, while strengthening family relationships and daily routines. It’s not “school at home.” It’s an education shaped around your child and your family.
Learn more about home education options: http://hslda.ca/explore-education
Read more about learning at the preschool stage:
Teaching at Home: Preschool & Beyond
