The Chaos and the Clutter

Sensory Bins

Life Cycle of a Chicken Sensory Bin

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Hands-on learning is the best kind of learning. Let kids explore farm animal science in this Life Cycle of a Chicken Sensory Bin. This lesson can be used with preschoolers and students in early elementary.popcorn seeds, dry noodles, chicken, egg, chicks. Text reads "Life Cycle of a Chicken Sensory Bin"

You can set up this sensory bin as part of a Farm unit. It’s a cute way to introduce the farm unit or set up a sensory station in your home or classroom. This is also a super cute activity to do in the springtime. 

Life Cycle of a Chicken Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

  • plastic bin
  • popcorn seeds
  • dry noodles (like the kind you use in chicken noodle soup ironically!)*
  • life cycle of a chicken pack
  • optional: scoops or spoons

Note: *I found my dry noodles at the bulk foods store.

Directions:

  1. Place the popcorn kernels and dry noodles in a plastic bin.
  2. Add the figures from the life cycle of a chicken pack.
  3. Invite your child to explore and play.

Ways to expand this activity:

  • Set out books about farm animals and/or chickens nearby to expand on this activity.
  • Talk about the sounds chickens make and have your child imitate the noise.
  • Discuss what kinds of things we use eggs for.
  • Make a recipe that uses eggs together. 
  • Learn more about chickens and raising chickens using the resources listed below.
  • Visit a local farm. 
  • Raise chicks. 

The stages of development of a chicken are:

  1. egg development
  2. hatchling
  3. chick
  4. pullet (adolescent)
  5. chicken

If your kids want to learn more about chickens, here are some resources to help you expand their knowledge:

Life Cycle of a Chicken Printable Cards

Chick to Hen Life Cycle Craft

Learn the 4 key stages of the chicken life cycle.

How to Collect and Clean Chicken Eggs

Chicken Farm Animals: Baby to Grown

Check out some of our other Life Cycle Sensory Bins:

Sea Turtle Life Cycle Sensory BinBee Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Sea Turtle Life Cycle Sensory Bin

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This Sea Turtle Life Cycle Sensory Bin is an easy hands-on way to study these remarkable creatures. Kids can explore science with their senses while they learn how sea turtles are born and live. small hands explore in sand with plastic figures and rocks and text that reads "Sea Turtle Life Cycle Sensory Bin"

My friend Jamie who lives in Florida volunteers to check on nests and make protected trenches for the baby sea turtles in her area. It’s been so interesting to see her pictures and videos and hear about her experiences. While we may not live anywhere near the ocean, that doesn’t mean that we can’t learn about this amazing phenomenon ourselves.

A few facts to get you started:

The mother turtles dig holes in the sand or mud to create a nest which they lay their eggs in. They then bury the eggs to protect them.

Less than 1% of the eggs survive and make it to the sea. Some do not fully develop, but most fall victim to predators. Once the hatchlings emerge from their shell, they must dig their way out of the hole and make it to the ocean.

Racoons, crabs, birds, fish, fire ants, dogs, lizards, and coyotes are among the main predators of the eggs and young offspring.

Sea Turtle Life Cycle Sensory Bin:

We saw sea turtles at the Monterey Bay Aquarium on a road trip and our kids were fascinated. We also had the opportunity to see protected areas of sea turtle nests on the beach in Florida on another trip. There, we attended an information evening teaching us about conservation efforts. Education is always the first step towards conservation so the more you teach your kids, the better.

This sensory bin may spark the beginning of an interest for them in learning more.

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Fill a small container with sand or kinetic sand.
  2. Add some rocks.
  3. Place the figures from the Sea Turtle Life Cycle pack in the sand.
  4. Encourage play.

This sensory bin is great for use at home or in the classroom while doing a unit study. It enables kids to reenact what they are learning. Using more of their senses and learning through play allows for better retention. What may seem like a simple activity can allow kids to cement their knowledge and make it more real.

This sensory play activity includes small parts. As with any children’s activity, adult supervision is required.

Resources for Learning about Sea Turtles:

If you want to further your study, here are some resources to delve deeper and expand your knowledge about sea turtles.

Life Cycle of a Green Sea TurtleLife Cycle of a Green Sea TurtleLife Cycle of a Green Sea TurtleSea Life Green Sea TurtleSea Life Green Sea TurtleSea Life Green Sea TurtleKinetic SandKinetic SandKinetic SandRealistic Sea Turtle Plastic FigurinesRealistic Sea Turtle Plastic FigurinesRealistic Sea Turtle Plastic FigurinesSea Turtle with Babies Building SetSea Turtle with Babies Building SetSea Turtle with Babies Building SetSea Turtle Life Cycle Guide Laminated CardSea Turtle Life Cycle Guide Laminated CardSea Turtle Life Cycle Guide Laminated CardThe Life Cycle of a Sea TurtleThe Life Cycle of a Sea TurtleThe Life Cycle of a Sea TurtleFrom Egg to Sea TurtleFrom Egg to Sea TurtleFrom Egg to Sea TurtleThe Life of a Sea TurtleThe Life of a Sea TurtleThe Life of a Sea Turtle

Looking for more easy sensory play ideas to inspire learning? Join for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Check out some of our other life cycle sensory bins that can be used for science unit studies:

Bee Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Chicken Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Human Body Sensory Bin

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I know this one is a bit gross at first glance, but bear with me. Kids are able to retain more information when they incorporate their senses and learn through play. That’s how I came up with the idea for this Human Body Sensory Bin.

red water beads with toy body parts and organs and a book of the skeletal system with text that reads "Human Body Sensory Bin"As kids learn about the human body, they can explore through sensory play. This can lead them to asking more questions and finding new discoveries.

What I love about this sensory play activity is that there are so many ways you can use it to expand learning. Suggestions for how to use this as part of a human body unit study:

  • set out books on the human body, handouts, diagrams, and worksheets near the bin.
  • kids can match the organs and body parts in the bin to the ones in the books.
  • print out cards with the names of the organs and ask kids to place the cards in the sensory bin next to the corresponding organ.
  • invite students to talk about what each of the organs does in the body.

Human Body Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

Directions:

  1. Place the water beads in a plastic tub and add water. Wait for them to expand.
  2. Toss in the plastic human organs and stretchy body parts. (Even typing that makes me laugh because it sounds so gross!)
  3. Set the bin out in your home or classroom for students to explore.

Body Parts Stretchy Fidgets - Ear, Hand, Foot Nose - AnatomyBody Parts Stretchy Fidgets – Ear, Hand, Foot Nose – AnatomyBody Parts Stretchy Fidgets - Ear, Hand, Foot Nose - AnatomyHuman Organs TOOBHuman Organs TOOBHuman Organs TOOBRed Water BeadsRed Water BeadsRed Water Beads

Some other resources to accompany your human body unit study:

Human Body! (Knowledge Encyclopedias)Human Body! (Knowledge Encyclopedias)Human Body! (Knowledge Encyclopedias)The Human Body: A Pop-Up Guide to AnatomyThe Human Body: A Pop-Up Guide to AnatomyThe Human Body: A Pop-Up Guide to AnatomyHuman Body Activity Book for KidsHuman Body Activity Book for KidsHuman Body Activity Book for KidsMy First Human Body BookMy First Human Body BookMy First Human Body BookThe Fantastic Body: What Makes You Tick & How You Get SickThe Fantastic Body: What Makes You Tick & How You Get SickThe Fantastic Body: What Makes You Tick & How You Get SickLook Inside: Your BodyLook Inside: Your BodyLook Inside: Your BodyLearning Resources Human Body ModelLearning Resources Human Body ModelLearning Resources Human Body Model3D Organ Apron3D Organ Apron3D Organ Apron

Expand your study further with these free printable human body worksheets:

Setting out corresponding worksheets near the sensory bin station encourages learning.

More hands-on learning activities for the human body:

Check out some of our other sensory science ideas:

Colour Mixing Sensory Bag

Sensory Smell Bottles

Melting Ice Experiment

Valentine’s Pluffle Sensory Bin

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I recently discovered this new play material called Pluffle. I haven’t decided yet if I think it’s cool or icky (it moves a bit like little worms – ewww!), but I can tell that I’m going to be using it in a lot of upcoming play activities! This Valentine’s Pluffle Sensory Bin is the first.

hand holding red playfoam and a heart eraser with text that reads "Valentine's Pluffle Sensory Bin"Pluffle is a play foam. I don’t know the science behind it, but it kind of moves on its own. It’s a bit creepy, but also very fun. Kids are pretty fascinated while they watch the movement as it expands.

Valentine’s Pluffle Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

  • red Pluffle
  • heart shaped erasers (from the Dollar Store)
  • red jumbo kid tweezers
  • pink heart shaped cookie cutters
  • small pink heart shaped containers (from the Dollar Store)
  • pink and red tic tac toe placeholders (from the Dollar Store)
  • plastic bin

Directions:

  1. Empty a container of Pluffle into a plastic container.
  2. Drop in some heart shaped erasers, the cookie cutters, jumbo tweezers, and plastic heart containers.
  3. Invite your child or students to play.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

Fine motor skills – Kids can use the heart containers to scoop and fill. They can use the tweezers to pick up the Pluffle or to pick up the erasers and move them.

Math – Students can arrange the cookie cutters from smallest to largest or use spacial concepts to fit hearts inside each other.

Vocabulary – Talking about patterns, colours, and what textures they are feeling can help kids improve their communication skills and encourage them to ask questions.

Sensory – This Valentine’s Sensory Bin provides visual and tactile sensory feedback along with a bit of proprioception. There are a lot of textures to explore with the soft pluffle and the squishy erasers and the hard tic tac toe tiles.

Check out some of our other Valentine’s sensory play activities:

Scented Valentine’s Sensory Bin

Valentine’s Calm Down Bottle

Valentine’s Sensory BottleValentines Sensory Bottle whose contents can be turned into a Valentines sensory bin.

Scented Valentine’s Sensory Bin

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When it comes to sensory activities for home or the classroom, it doesn’t have to be complicated. This simple scented Valentine’s sensory bin encourages hands-on play.red heart shaped tray with pink, white and red rice and pink and red plastic hearts and text that reads "Scented Valentine's Sensory Bin" Because of the scent, this activity is reminiscent of cinnamon hearts which are of course a Valentine’s Day staple.

Scented Valentine’s Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

  • white rice
  • white vinegar
  • red food colouring
  • cinnamon essential oil
  • heart gems
  • heart shaped container (can often be found at the Dollar Store) or sensory bin
  • optional: scoops or spoons for play

Directions:

  1. Add 2 cups of rice to a gallon sized resealable plastic bag.
  2. Drop 2 tsp. of vinegar to the rice.
  3. Add 20-30 drops of red food colouring. (more drops = deeper colour)
  4. Put in 3-7 drops of cinnamon essential oil (depending on how strong you want the smell to be).
  5. Seal the bag and shake. Mix well until the rice is evenly coloured.
  6. Line a baking sheet with paper towel.
  7. Pour the coloured rice onto paper towel, spread out evenly, and allow the rice to dry. (I usually leave mine overnight.)
  8. Once dry, add one cup of white rice and mix. The mix will look red, white, and pink.
  9. Pour the rice into a heart shaped tray.
  10. Add hearts for sensory play.
  11. When the bin is no longer being played with, you can store the rice and hearts in a clear glass or plastic jar or bottle as decoration.

Sensory and Learning Opportunities:

Kids playing in this Valentine’s sensory bin engage their olfactory (smell), tactile (touch), visual (sight), and proprioceptive sensory systems.

You can expand this activity by creating a seek and find in the rice with sight words related to Valentine’s or by having kids count the number of red or pink hearts and discuss which one there are more of.

Are you looking for other easy sensory play ideas for kids? Join us for a free five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Some of our other Valentine’s sensory activities:

Valentine’s Playdough StationStrawberry and Chocolate Playdough Valentines invitation to play #sensoryplay #chocolateplaydough #playdoughinvitationtoplay #playdough

Valentine’s Sensory BottleValentines Sensory Bottle whose contents can be turned into a Valentines sensory bin.

Kinetic Sand Sensory Bins

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Kinetic sand is such a versatile sensory play material. I wanted to demonstrate just some of the many easy ways you can create a sensory bin using kinetic sand. collage of photos of many types of sensory play experiences with the same base and text that reads "Kinetic Sand Sensory Bins"Store bought kinetic sand can be expensive, so I usually make my own using this homemade kinetic sand recipe.

I wanted to show how easily you could create an interactive sensory experience using only kinetic sand and a few items that you may already have around your house. So for this, I used one package of purchased kinetic sand.

Kinetic Sand Sensory Bins:

The possibilities really are endless. You can reuse the same base over and over and create a new experience each time by changing what you fill it with. I also used a few different bin options including one with a lid so that it is a portable sensory bin. Plus if you have cats, the lid keeps them from thinking it’s a litter box!

Kinetic sand looks similar to regular sand but acts more like wet sand as it can be moulded and can hold shapes. Those properties make it an ideal tool for sensory play.

Bring the Beach Home Sensory Bin:

This one is especially appealing at the moment given the temperature outside! Create your own mini beach scene at home no matter how far you live from the beach.
Supplies needed:

Sandcastle Building Sensory Bin:

Recreate the feeling of playing in the sand while at home. Dig, build sandcastles, create moats.

Supplies needed:

Sea Turtle Sensory Bin:

Explore the life cycle of green sea turtles with this kinetic sand bin.

Supplies needed:

Cars Sensory Bin:

Use characters from the Cars movie or any toy cars you have on hand.

Supplies needed:

Rainforest Animals Sensory Bin:

Create an interactive learning station at home or in a classroom.

Supplies needed:

Construction Sensory Bin:

This theme is especially popular with boys! They can dig, scoop, move, build, and imagine.

Supplies needed:

Dinosaur Sensory Bin:

This activity can be just for fun or to pair with a dinosaur learning unit.

Supplies needed:

Alphabet Sensory Bin:

It’s amazing how much you can do with just a set of alphabet letters and kinetic sand!

Supplies needed:

With this sensory activity, here are some things you can do to help kids work on their letter recognition, reading, and spelling:

  • have kids spell out words of their choosing
  • have them recreate words from a spelling list
  • allow them to seek out and read words that you make in the sand
  • have them match a letter with its imprint and say the name of the letter
  • imprint the letters of the word and take the letters out of the bin and have your child find the corresponding letter that matches the imprint like a puzzle.

Looking for more easy sensory play ideas? Join for a five day email series on Sensory Activities and Solutions and get a free sample of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

You might also want to read:

DIY Kinetic Sand Recipea white bin filled with kinetic sand also contains 3 small construction vehicle toys that are yellow and black in colour.

Kinetic Sand Activities