I get asked on a regular basis for ideas for sensory bin fillers that are not food. Some preschools and schools do not allow food items in the sensory bins in their classrooms and there are some parents that feel it is wasteful to use food in their bins at home. Food items such as dried rice, pasta or beans are such an easy base for a sensory bin. It can be a bit more challenging to think of creative ideas that are not edible but with a bit of imagination, there are many options.
As all sensory bins go, the only limits really are your imagination, but here are some suggestions as to what you can use as a base that are not food. I’ve added links to many of them so that you can check out examples of how they can work in a sensory tub.
- cotton balls
- pompoms
- Kidfetti
- feathers
- foam bits
- shredded paper
- Easter grass
- beads
- Epsom salts
- confetti
- water
- ice
- snow
- sand
- dirt
- buttons
- packing peanuts
- shaving cream
- soap shavings
- mud
- rocks
- water beads
- glass beads
- seashells
- ribbon curls
- leaves (real or plastic)
- corks
- building blocks
- fabric scraps
- costume jewelry
- grass (real or fake)
- tinsel
- baby oilÂ
- lotion or gel
- silk or plastic flowers
- streamers
- corn silk
- play coins
- toys
- aquarium rocks
- shavings
- cotton batting
For instructions on how to create a sensory bin, information about why they are so beneficial for children, relevant recipes, printable idea lists and more, get your copy of my ebook Sensory Bins: the What, the How & the Why .
