The Chaos and the Clutter

How to Make an Emotions Sensory Bin

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I’ve been wanting to put together this sensory bin for a while now, and circumstances kept intervening. It’s not even that hard — I’ve kept the whole thing very simple and easy. I finally had some time on my hands to make this one happen. An emotions sensory bin combines one of your child’s favorite ways to play with an important developmental milestone: emotional literacy. Add some great books, a few other ways to play, and interesting conversations, and you have yourself a learning unit that your child will benefit from for years to come. 

An emotions sensory bin showing a bin with ats, tongs, scoop, and emotions stickers.

Why Explore Emotions with Sensory Bin Play

I can think of no better way to explore emotions safely. Sensory play is calming to the central nervous system and helps your child move from parasympathetic nervous system (fight or flight) to the sympathetic nervous system. It is also allows for the safe physical expression of emotions, pressing, squeezing, and pulling to work through anger, fear, or anxiety without hurting themselves or others. This helps cortisol levels come down.

Sensory bin play is also grounding, giving your child a sense of his place in space and his connection to the physical world. Body awareness increases as children play with toys that provide sensory input, and this also helps them recognize emotions as they begin and build instead of after they spill over. Combined with the fact that the actual content of this bin teaches kids to identify, name, and talk about various emotions and you have a win-win play experience.

How to Make an Emotions Sensory Bin

Supplies Needed

Four steps to make an emotions sensory bin and play with it are shown. Place stickers on the bottom of the bin, add oats and tools, Find the stickers. Use a makeup brush.

Step-By-Step Instructions

  1. Put the stickers on the bottom of your sensory bin.  
  2. Cover with oats. 
  3. Add in any sensory tools and the makeup brush and have your kids explore and search to find each emotion.  

A sad face is exposed in the bottom of the emotions sensory bin with a makeup resting nearby.

Tips and Ideas for your Emotions Sensory Bin

  • Other sensory tools or figurines can be added to make the bin more fun to play with or more educational. 
  • Instead of oats, you can use various types of rice, quinoa, cereal, or water beads. 
  • You can make an emotion card and laminate it so your kids can check off each emotion as they find it.
  • Take the time to talk about each emotion to help your child learn more about emotions as well. 
  • Read books related to emotions to give your child the language necessary to discuss big emotions with you or a therapist.
  • Play with toys, games, and add more sensory activities to help your child form connections. We have a great list to get you started at the end of this post. 

A close up of the sad face sticker in a bin of oats.

More Ways to Play With Your Sensory Bin

  • Add more tools, such as tongs, scoops, buckets, bowls, cups, funnels, construction vehicles, etc. 
  • Practice counting as you find the emotions stickers. 
  • Encourage verbal expression, asking your child to describe each sticker and use emotion words etc. 
  • Tell a story as you uncover various emotion faces and turn each into a different character in the story. 
  • Remove all of the oats little by little into a large bucket until all of the stickers are exposed, then dump the bucket back in and play some more. 

Books to Read about Emotions

Toys and Games that Teach About Emotions

Don’t Go Bananas. A therapy game intended to help kids work through strong emotions.

Roll With It Coping Skills Dice Set. teaches 52 different coping skills for big emotions.

LeSong Plastic Sensory Emotions Shapes. These would be a fun add for your sensory bin! 

Wooden Emotions Magnets. Provide a way to explore emotions with a young child while you are working in the kitchen. Magnets can also be used on a sheet pan in the car, or on a piece of metal mounted on the wall at play height. 

More Great Ideas for Working with Emotions through Sensory Play

We have so many fantastic ways to explore emotions through play! Be sure to check out Emotions and Calm Down Strategies Mega Bundle. It has a huge stash of resources to help your child in this area. 

Play the Feelings Jenga Game to get your child talking about emotions as they work through the emotions of frustration, anger, and excitement caused by the game itself.

How to Work Through Emotions with My Child will give you coping skills and strategies to use as the parent in any big emotions situation.

Make sure to check out our Big List of Books About Emotions for Kids to get even more book suggestions!

The Emotions Sensory Bag and the Emotions Sensory Bottle are both fun new activities. Each pairs perfectly with our Emotions Sensory Bin and will also work well for younger children who aren’t quite ready for sensory bin play. 

Get even more ideas from this Big List of Ideas to Teach Kids About Emotions.