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.
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:
- Place the popcorn kernels and dry noodles in a plastic bin.
- Add the figures from the life cycle of a chicken pack.
- 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:
- egg development
- hatchling
- chick
- pullet (adolescent)
- 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
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:
I’ve compiled an amazing list of science experiments that you can make in your own home. They are fun, hands on, safe for kids and many of them use materials you probably already have!
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.
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.
Directions:
These tactile sensory balloons are a great way for sensory avoiders to experience textures without touching them directly. As an example, if your child doesn’t like the feel of water beads, you can place water beads in a balloon and they can feel the shape, squishiness, and movement of them without having to feel the wetness or gooeyness.
One thing I like about this project is how it engages the senses. The peanut butter and the bird seed both give olfactory (smell) sensory input. Rolling it in the bird seed and hanging it on a tree are excellent tactile input. And both making the bird feeder and later observing the birds who use it are visual.
