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Dollar Store Sensory Bin

By Sharla Kostelyk

(This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, see my disclosure policy.)

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Sensory bins can be great fun for kids of all ages.  Though normally used for Preschoolers and kids with Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), the bins are a big hit with all of my kids.  Four of my kids have SPD so I make them every week, but they can get expensive. Yesterday, I visited the dollar store and picked up these items:

feather boa, cork coasters, brightly coloured scouring pads, sponges, non-slip pads, sandpaper, squishy balls, textured ball, netting, coloured corrugated cardboard

I paired those items up with things from around the house such as a beaded necklace, tin foil, bubble wrap, cotton balls, buttons, screws, rocks, beads, plastic leaves, dry pasta, sequins, velcro, and a few toys to make a sensory bin.

The bin ended up costing about $11 to make and most of the items can be re-purposed or re-used in future sensory bins.

You can find other great sensory bin ideas in my book and by following my Sensory Bins board on Pinterest.

 The Ultimate Guide to Sensory Bins

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Filed Under: Crafts and Activities, Homeschooling, Sensory Bins, Special Needs Parenting

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Crisc says

    August 21, 2011 at 2:03 am

    Thanks for stopping by. I love the Dollar Store, so many good deals =)

  2. Kasondra says

    August 21, 2011 at 1:09 pm

    My son was recently diagnosed with SPD so I LOVE seeing sensory bins on blogs! I usually go to the Target Dollar Spot for ideas but haven’t tried the Dollar Store yet. What has been your biggest hit item?

    • Sharla says

      August 21, 2011 at 1:47 pm

      The biggest hits are the squishy balls that have lights in them, the tin foil, and the feather boa.

  3. Bruna says

    August 21, 2011 at 10:10 pm

    I love this! I’m a First Grade Teacher and could so use this in my classroom. Heading to the dollar store tomorrow! Thanks for the idea 🙂

  4. Denise says

    August 22, 2011 at 4:24 pm

    how do sensory bins work? do they close their eyes and put their hands in? Amara hates the feel of those squishy toys!

    • Sharla says

      August 22, 2011 at 9:32 pm

      Denise – they can close their eyes and see if they can figure out what they are holding or they can just play and explore and use their imaginations with their eyes wide open. It’s kind of like playing in a sandbox, only more textures!

  5. Mom to 2 Posh Lil Divas says

    August 27, 2011 at 8:06 pm

    another great bin! I am a bit addicted to the dollar store – so many great finds there over time.

    you made a wonderful & frugal bin.

    Thanks for sharing this on the Sunday Showcase – hope to see you this week.

    Bern
    http://momto2poshlildivas.blogspot.com/search/label/Sunday%20Showcase

Trackbacks

  1. Workboxes | The Chaos and the Clutter says:
    September 2, 2011 at 10:56 pm

    […] and whichever child gets that card in one of their bins that day is able to go over and play in the sensory bin of the week for as long as they want to.  That little card is a very coveted thing in our house at […]

  2. 15 {Sensational} Sensory Bins - Kids Activities Blog says:
    January 4, 2014 at 5:01 am

    […] 2.  Making sensory bins doesn’t have to be expensive. You can find many great items at the dollar store – here’s how! […]

  3. 100+ Things to Do This Summer - Crunchy Family says:
    June 19, 2014 at 10:24 am

    […] Create sensory bins â€” they needn’t be expensive. […]

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