When it comes to Fall, one thing that brings out childhood nostalgia for me is a new, fresh, colorful bag of candy corn. Simple, adorable, and tiny, this sweet Halloween candy is the perfect treat. Turns out it also makes a good plaything.
Create this quick and easy Candy Corn Construction Sensory bin and watch as your child spends hours occupied with driving and dumping, snacking and shovelling for all it’s worth. If you have a little one into construction toys of all kinds, this activity is a no-brainer!
Sensory bins are easy to put together and so much fun for kids. If you haven’t tried one yet, now is the time. Your kids will appreciate the novelty of it, and love exploring the textures and smells and sometimes tastes of the sensory bin and you will enjoy the quiet, focused play.
It’s a great tool to use when you need to get dinner on the table, work sent to a client, or that last bit done before your deadline. When you can work just a few feet from your kids without stress, that’s a win for everyone!
Supplies for the Candy Corn Construction Sensory Bin
- One bag of candy corn
- Construction toys
Tips to Make It Awesome
- Use mini construction toys. They are the right size for candy corn.
- Don’t cover the bottom of the container completely. Allow room for kids to push and scoop the candy corn with the toys.
- Have them see how many different machines they can transfer the candy corn to without touching the bin.
- See if transferring multiple pieces at once is more difficult than just one piece.
- Play Supervisor, and request the kids pick up a specific number of candy corn to fulfill an order.
- A dedicated sensory table can be used over and over again for easy play time. I highly recommend this one.
How to Change it Up for Day Two
I like to only leave each sensory bin out for a day or two and then have a day or two break and switch it our for another one. Sometimes, boredom sets in on day two though, and adding just one or two ingredients can re-engage your child. It’s also a great way to keep the sensory bin fresh when you plan to use it more than once in the same season.
Any easy way to change up this particular bin could be changed by adding different colors of candy corn or the mini pumpkins. If you want to get a little fancier, hiding these matching stickers in the bottom under candy corn would be a fun add!
One or two of these candy corn stress balls might also be fun. Miniature construction cones are the perfect addition! Did you find the perfect add-on? Be sure to let us know in the comments!
Why Making Time for Sensory Play Matters
Sensory play is important for all children, not just those who are extra sensory-seeking. Exploring the senses is a classic way to calm down the nervous system, process stress, and calm down anxiety. It actually has a direct impact on vagus nerve health and regulation.
I know sometimes it just seems like one more thing added to your plate, but I have found over and over again that starting with sensory play or including sensory play in our consistent daily routine pays me back in spades – because as my child’s anxiety drops and behavior improves, I have more time to focus on the things I need to get done, and that helps reduce my stress.
If you aren’t sure if you can “waste” the time it takes to source and set up sensory play activities for your kids, I encourage you to try it for just two weeks. Once you observe the benefits, I think you’ll find it worth the effort.
Besides helping with emotional regulation, sensory processing, and anxiety, playing with one of our sensory bins also helps your child develop fine motor skills, work on hand-eye coordination, practice number sense and verbal expression. It’s a win-win for everyone!
Books about Candy Corn or Construction to Read with your Kids
Reading with your kids takes something ordinary and turns it into something extraordinary – stories spark the imagination, teach your kids to create imagery in their heads when they hear stories (an important skill that starts developing as soon as you start reading to your kids!) and creates new neural pathways between different experiences like the sensory bin, the construction site you watched for an hour after that appointment, and the information in the books you read. So much goodness happens when you read a book to your kids, and even more when those books are connected to the other things you’ve been doing.