The Chaos and the Clutter

Sensory Bins

Jungle Sensory Bin with Printable Feelings Cards

matching two cards of a cartoon sad giraffe

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Sensory bins are a fun way to get your kids engaged in imaginative play. And while they’re perfect for encouraging your child to play independently, you can also use these learning tools to help reinforce important concepts, like emotions. With this fun jungle sensory bin, your preschooler can have fun playing with cute jungle animals while also practicing emotional identification.hands hold up card with animals on them above a bin of dry split peasThis activity is great for preschools, Kindergarten classrooms, or home. You can easily adapt the questions you ask for older and younger kids. Learning opportunities:

  • early reading
  • matching
  • jungle animals
  • emotions
  • sensory play

How to Make a Jungle Sensory Bin

Materials Needed:

  • Large bin or dish
  • Split peas or other green filler (see suggestions below)
  • Toy jungle animals
  • Printable jungle animal feelings cards (you can download those here)
  • Scissors
  • Laminator (optional)

Instructions:

  1. Fill the bin with your filler material.
  2. Add the jungle animal toys.
  3. Print out the jungle animal feelings cards and cut them out. Laminate for durability, if desired.
  4. Place the cards inside the bin with the toys.

process of cutting out jungle animal cards and putting them in a sensory bin

How Do You Play with this Feelings in the Jungle Sensory Bin?

After you put your jungle themed bin together with the filler, toys, and printable cards, it’s time for your kids to have some fun! Let your child explore the items in the bin independently first. Then, you can encourage them to identify the different feelings they see on the animal cards.

These simple prompts are a great way to get your kids thinking about the jungle themed animals inside their sensory bin:

  • Point at the sad lion.
  • Show me the angry zebra.
  • Find the happy giraffe.
  • Which animal is angry?
  • How is the zebra feeling?
  • Can you find the sad giraffe?
  • Why do you think the lion is crying?
  • Is the zebra excited?

matching two cards of a cartoon sad giraffe

Since this printable activity features a variety of feelings and emotions on each set of cards, your kid can have tons of fun playing with their favorite jungle animals and learning about feelings at the same time. The cards feature three different popular jungle animals: giraffes, lions, and zebras. And each animal displays 10 different emotions:

  • Happy
  • Sad
  • Angry
  • Disgusted
  • Shy
  • Confused
  • Scared
  • Shocked
  • Crying
  • Excited

cartoon jungle animals such as a lion and zebra

Jungle Sensory Bin Variations

  • Use different filler materials, like Easter grass, Spanish moss, small rocks, sand, water beads, or colored rice
  • Add other jungle themed toys, like small trees, sticks, flowers, or leaves
  • Provide fine motor toys, like tweezers or scoops, to add to the jungle fun
  • Use the cards outside of the box by helping your child match the different animal’s emotions

boy's hand plays with a toy animal in a bin of dry green lentils

Activities to Expand Your Jungle Sensory Bin Lesson

  • Read books about jungle animals or emotions
  • Identify your own emotions as they occur throughout the day
  • Discuss how different situations make you or your child feel as they’re happening
  • Draw or paint pictures of different jungle animals or emotions

cards of jungle animals in a bin of green split peas

Sign up with your email address to receive the free printable emotion matching cards.

You may also be interested in:

Easter Egg Hunt Sensory Bin

yellow and purple with toy sparkly eggs and the letters to spell Easter Egg Hunt

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Sensory bins are perfect for interactive play. And when you add in seasonal elements, they’re a fun way to celebrate a holiday with your little ones too. This adorable Easter egg hunt sensory bin is filled with unique ways for your kids to explore using an Easter theme, whether they’re learning at home or in the classroom.

yellow on one side, purple on the other with sparkly eggs and a fluffy chick. Text reads "Easter Egg Hunt Sensory Bin"Using common Easter themed items in your sensory bin is the perfect way to get your kids playing and learning by using their senses. Each item on the bin is designed to help your child learn as they play by engaging at least one of their senses – sight, sound, smell, touch, and taste.

Easter Egg Hunt Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

yellow and purple with toy sparkly eggs and the letters to spell Easter Egg HuntInstructions:

  1. Spread the yellow and purple Pluffle in the bottom of the bin, placing one colour on each side.
  2. Place the letters in the bin. You can use the letters to spell out words (like Easter Egg Hunt) or simply let your kids play with the letters and spell words on their own. Kids love to spell out their own names and familiar words. 
  3. Spread the sequin eggs and baby chick toys around inside the bin.
  4. Place the magnifying glass on top of the items for the kids to use.

collage of photos of a yellow and purple Easter sensory bin

Easter Sensory Bin Activities

Once you have your sensory bin set up, your kids can explore each item inside the bin as they play. These sensory bin activities are fun ways to encourage your kids to explore:

  • Use the magnifying glass. Move the magnifying glass over each element in the sensory bin and explore the different colours and textures up close. Compare the fluffy chick’s feathers to the smooth letters to see how they are different.child's hand holding a magnifying glass over a sequined egg
  • Touch the different items in the bin. Use your fingers to touch each item in the bin and describe what each one feels like. Which items in the bin are soft? Which are hard?
  • Squish the Pluffle. Use your hands, a spoon, or a scoop to move the Pluffle around. Squish the Pluffle in your hands or combine the colours to see what happens.
  • Sort or spell with the letters. Put the letters in alphabetical order, sort them by colour, or spell Easter words with them inside the sensory bin.
  • Play hide and seek. Hide the eggs or chicks under the Pluffle and dig around in the bin to find them. Or play a game with a friend or sibling by hiding items inside the bin and asking someone else to find the hidden treasures.hand squishes purple and yellow Pluffle

Check out our other Easter sensory ideas:

Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin

plush bunny sits by a sensory bin filled with moss, grass, and toy butterflies

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Using nature as inspiration for your sensory bin is a great way to provide your toddler or preschooler with educational interactive fun. And since spring is right around the corner, Easter is the perfect time to create a nature activity for your kids. With this nature inspired Easter sensory bin, your little ones can have some educational fun while exploring nature at home. stuffed bunny, moss, grass, sticks, and toy insects. Text reads "Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin"Nature provides your kids with tons of opportunities to explore and meet their sensory needs. From smelling the flowers to touching the soft grass, there are several ways your child can use their senses while playing outside. And that’s why nature is the perfect inspiration for an Easter sensory bin.collage of photos of a hand playing in a Spring sensory bin

Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed: 

plush bunny sits by a sensory bin filled with moss, grass, and toy butterfliesInstructions: 

  1. Add the Spanish moss to the tray. Add the artificial grass on top. Spread out evenly.
  2. Place the artificial plants, flowers, and mini birch logs around the bin. 
  3. Add the stones, rocks, and gems to the bin. 
  4. Add the butterflies and dragonflies to the bin. 
  5. Set the bunny near the bin. 

collage of photos of creating an Easter sensory bin

Nature Inspired Sensory Bin Activities

Once you have your sensory bin put together, it’s time to let your kids explore.

If you’re looking for ways to encourage your kids to play, try these fun activity suggestions:

  • Play with the bunny in the bin. Encourage pretend play by asking your child to play with the bunny in the bin. They can make the bunny interact with the different elements of the bin and use their imagination as they play.
  • Touch the different elements and compare the textures. Explore their sense of touch by touching each item to see what it feels like. Then, compare the different textures to see which ones are similar, like the rocks and gems, and which ones are different, like the logs and moss.

hand playing in an Easter sensory bin

  • Listen to nature sounds. In addition to invoking your kids’ sense of touch, this nature inspired sensory bin can also let your child use their ears to hear. Figure out what sounds the elements make when rubbed together or moved from spot to spot.
  • Encourage imaginative play. After child plays with the bunny, your child can also use the butterflies and dragonflies for play. Show them how the insects interact with the different elements in the bin, then let them use their imagination to play with the toys.
  • Sort and organize. Practice sorting and organizing the elements in the bin into different categories, like colour, shape, or size.
  • Compare to nature. Take a look at each element in the bin and compare it to items found in nature. Ask your child what each item looks like and then let them guess what it is and where in nature you can find it.

hands holding toy butterflies

Check out some of our other Easter sensory activities for kids:

Easter Fluffy Slime

Eggs and Carrots Easter Sensory Bin

Sensory Sound Eggs

Ladybug Life Cycle Sensory Bin and Activities

small hands hold a plastic ladybug and leaves

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This adorable ladybug life cycle sensory bin is a great addition to an insect study, ladybug study, or preschool classroom. You can set it up for your child at home or students in the classroom and invite them to explore. dyed green rice, magnifying glass, and toy ladybugs. Text reads "Ladybug Life Cycle Sensory Bin"Whenever you can add a sensory activity into learning, it increases the amount of information children can retain. Sensory bins are a simple way to do this and as kids discover through their senses, they can ask questions which will increase their learning.

Ladybug Life Cycle Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

toy leaves and ladybugs next to rocksInstructions:

  1. Dye the rice (read the full instructions here) and let it dry overnight.
  2. Pour the green rice into a plastic bin.
  3. Place the other items into the bin.
  4. Invite your child or students to play and discover.

collage of photos of a sensory bin of green rice and ladybug toysThis sensory bin contains small parts. Adult supervision should always be used when kids play.

Life Stages of a Ladybug:

  1. egg
  2. larva
  3. pupa
  4. adult ladybugtoys of the life stages of ladybugs sitting on dry green rice

Activities to Expand on Your Ladybug Study:

small hands hold a plastic ladybug and leavesKids will engage their visual, tactile, and proprioceptive sensory systems by playing in this sensory bin. You can also add something for the olfactory (smell) system by scenting the rice using essential oil.small hand holds a ladybug pupa in dyed green rice

Resources for Learning About Ladybugs:

Ladybug Life Cycle PackLadybug Life Cycle PackLadybug Life Cycle PackLadybug Life Cycle Reversible Hand PuppetLadybug Life Cycle Reversible Hand PuppetLadybug Life Cycle Reversible Hand PuppetLadybug Land with Live LarvaeLadybug Land with Live LarvaeLadybug Land with Live LarvaeThe Grouchy Ladybug by Eric CarleThe Grouchy Ladybug by Eric CarleThe Grouchy Ladybug by Eric CarleLife Story of a LadybugLife Story of a LadybugLife Story of a LadybugColor the Life Cycle of a Ladybug, Cricket, Butterfly, Honey Bee, and a FrogColor the Life Cycle of a Ladybug, Cricket, Butterfly, Honey Bee, and a FrogColor the Life Cycle of a Ladybug, Cricket, Butterfly, Honey Bee, and a FrogLadybugsLadybugsLadybugs

 

You might also want to check out our other life cycle sensory bins:

Sensory Bin Starter Kit

green and blue water beads and toy frogs on top. Red filler and heart shaped erasers on the bottom.

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Sensory bins are simple to put together but provide a big “punch” in terms of benefits. Improved fine motor skills, sensory input (tactile, visual, proprioception, and sometimes auditory and/or gustatory), communication skills, and hands-on learning are just some of the opportunities that are presented to a child with sensory bin play.

If you’re new to creating sensory bins for your child or classroom, I’ve put together a Sensory Bin Starter Kit guide for you. green and blue water beads and toy frogs on top. Red filler and heart shaped erasers on the bottom.

Here are some ideas to help you put together your own sensory bin starter kit:

Sensory Bins eBook

Sensory Bins ebook

The Sensory Bins book includes idea lists, storage tips, money saving hints, information on sensory processing in how it pertains to sensory bins, and sensory play recipes. It’s a great place to start.

Pluffle

This stuff is so fun! It kind of moves which is just super neat. I discovered it just last year. It makes a great sensory bin filler and is so versatile. You can see a video below of the pluffle in action.

Learning Resources Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set 

Sensory bins are a wonderful way to improve fine motor skills. This tool set includes large Gator Grabber tweezers, a Handy Scooper, Twisty Dropper, and Squeezy Tweezers. These are all designed for fine motor skill development. four plastic toys for fine motor skills

Adding one or more of these into a sensory bin will offer more ways to play and explore. I especially like the Handy Scooper for water bead sensory bins. 

For similar effects, you can also add kitchen tools such as measuring cups, measuring spoons, tongs, scoops, ladles, strainers, small bowls, and spatulas. These are great for scooping, pouring, measuring, moving, pinching, and grabbing. 

Water Beads

Water beads are such a versatile sensory item. They make an easy sensory bin filler. I’ve used them in so many of our sensory bins. 

Small Toys or Items for Play

One of the things I use most in my sensory bins are little toys found in these things called Toobs. I’ve used the space set, human organs, ocean animals, in the sky, arctic, insects, fruits and vegetables, penguins, dinosaur skulls, and many others.

Small toy cars, miniature trees, pompoms, and mini figures are other common items we often use in our bins. If you have all of these basic components and add them to a bin, you can create all kinds of wonderful sensory bins for your child to explore!

As with all sensory play, adult supervision should be used at all times.

Other Sensory Bin Resources:

Frog Life Cycle Sensory Bin and Activities

a hand holds a small toy frog on a plastic lily pad set on blue water beads

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A frog life cycle sensory bin is a great addition to your child or students’ science studies. Kids can explore and discover using their sense of touch and sight.blue water beads with foam lily pads, rocks, and frogs. Text reads "Frog Life Cycle Sensory Bin"

When you can add a hands-on component to any unit study, it increases retention of the information and interest in the topic. 

Frog Life Cycle Sensory Bin:

Supplies needed:

little hands holding a frog in a sensory binDirections:

  1. Place the water beads in a plastic container.
  2. Add water. 
  3. Allow time for the water beads to expand.
  4. Make an area in a corner of the bin by pushing away some of the water beads and set out the rocks. This will be the land where frogs can sit.
  5. Add in the frogs, lily pads, and leaves.
  6. Invite kids to explore.

collage of photos of a frog sensory bin using water beads

Life Stages of the Frog:

  1. A frog lays eggs. It takes one to three weeks for the eggs to hatch.
  2. A tadpole hatches from each egg. Tadpoles live exclusively in water. They use gills to breathe. This stage lasts 9-12 weeks.
  3. The tadpole then grows into a froglet that looks more like a frog but has a tail. It has legs and lungs, so it is able to walk and hop on land. 
  4. 12-16 weeks after the egg first hatched, the frog is fully formed and is an adult. 

small green toy frog on rocks and water beads

Ideas to Expand Your Frog Life Cycle Unit Study:

a hand holds a small toy frog on a plastic lily pad set on blue water beads

Resources for Learning about Frogs:

Insect Lore Frog Life Cycle StagesInsect Lore Frog Life Cycle StagesInsect Lore Frog Life Cycle StagesTadpole to Frog Growing Kit with 2 Live TadpolesTadpole to Frog Growing Kit with 2 Live TadpolesTadpole to Frog Growing Kit with 2 Live TadpolesFrog Emotions Printable PackFrog Emotions Printable PackBUY NOWLife Cycle of a Frog Montessori PuzzleLife Cycle of a Frog Montessori PuzzleLife Cycle of a Frog Montessori PuzzleLife Cycle of a Frog Learning ChartLife Cycle of a Frog Learning ChartLife Cycle of a Frog Learning ChartFrog Life Cycle Hand PuppetFrog Life Cycle Hand PuppetFrog Life Cycle Hand PuppetAnd the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle BeginsAnd the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle BeginsAnd the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle BeginsFrom Tadpole to FrogFrom Tadpole to FrogFrom Tadpole to FrogNational Geographic Readers: Tadpole to FrogNational Geographic Readers: Tadpole to FrogNational Geographic Readers: Tadpole to Frog

 

This sensory bin contains small parts and water beads. Adult supervision should be used at all times when kids are participating in sensory play. 

Download your free printable Frog Life Cycle Hat. You’ll also be entered in our email series 5 Days to Better Family Connection. 

Check out our other life cycle sensory bins:

Bee Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Praying Mantis Life Cycle Sensory Bin

Chicken Life Cycle Sensory Bin