• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Home
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy + Terms
  • Affiliates

The Chaos and the Clutter

  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Pinterest
  • Google Plus
  • RSS
  • Email
  • School at Home
  • Sensory
    • Sensory Processing Disorder
    • Awesome Sensory Play Activities
      • Sensory Bins
      • Sensory Bottles
      • Sensory Bags
  • Family Games
    • Minute to Win It Games
  • Special Needs Parenting
    • Childhood Anxiety
    • Reactive Attachment Disorder
    • Sensory Processing Disorder
  • Store
  • Course Login

sensory bin

Easter Egg Hunt Sensory Bin

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

By Sharla Kostelyk

  • Total5
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest5
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

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:

  • plastic bin
  • yellow and purple Pluffle
  • gel letters
  • sequin eggs
  • fluffy baby chick toys
  • magnifying glass

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:

  • Easter Sensory Bottle
  • Easter Fluffy Slime
  • Eggs and Carrots Sensory Bin
  • Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin
  • Peter Rabbit Sensory Bin
  • Easter Oobleck
  • Total5
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest5
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities, Sensory Bins Tagged With: sensory bin, sensory play

Nature Inspired Easter Sensory Bin

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

By Sharla Kostelyk

  • Total3
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest3
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

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: 

  • plastic tub
  • plush Easter bunny
  • rocks
  • gold gems
  • stones
  • artificial grass
  • Spanish moss 
  • artificial flowers and plants
  • mini birch logs
  • artificial insects like butterflies/dragonflies 

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

  • Total3
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest3
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Crafts and Activities, Sensory Bins Tagged With: sensory bin, sensory play

On the Go Christmas Sensory Tub

By Sharla Kostelyk

  • Total40
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest40
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

The holidays are full of excitement. They also carry with them their fair share of stress, even for kids. It’s with that in mind that we created this On the Go Christmas Sensory Tub.

Sensory play can be very calming for kids. Being able to take something like this with them to events or in the vehicle can help your child better manage their emotions. It would also make a good addition to their Christmas Calm Down Kit. red and white sand with green jingle bells and clear gems with text "On the Go Christmas Sensory Tub"The items for this portable sensory activity were all purchased at the Dollar Store, so it is very inexpensive to create.

The red and white sand swirled together gives a bit of a candy cane look. The jingle bells add a sound element as well as giving a nice contrast of colour.

On the Go Christmas Sensory Tub:

Supplies needed:

  • plastic container with lid
  • white sand
  • red sand
  • white round beads
  • clear gems
  • green jingle bells
  • scoop or spoon

Directions:

  1. In a bowl, mix together the red and white sand.
  2. Toss in the other materials. Mix together.
  3. Transfer into portable containers with lids.

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

Helpful tip: If you’re wanting to use this in the vehicle and are worried about mess or spills, you can transfer the contents to a resealable bag and seal to create a Christmas Sensory Bag.

This on the go Christmas Sensory Tub engages the visual, tactile, and auditory (because of the jingle bells) sensory systems.

Check out these other holiday sensory activities:

Fill an Ornament Sensory Bag

Deconstructed Christmas Tree Sensory Bottle

Christmas Gifts Sensory Bin

  • Total40
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest40
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Christmas Tagged With: sensory bin, sensory play

Bee Life Cycle Sensory Bin

By Sharla Kostelyk

  • Total2.7K
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest2.7K
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

A bee life cycle sensory bin is a hands-on way to reinforce learning for kids on this topic. You can use this bin in a science unit or at a sensory station in your home or classroom.Bee Life Cycle Sensory Bin #sensorybin #sensoryplay #beelifecycle #kidsactivities #scienceWalk kids through the transformation of a bee from egg to larva to pupa to a mature honey bee. You can either add everything to the bin all at once, or you can add them in after the amount of time they would happen in real life.

In that case, you would add the egg on the first day and it would “hatch” into the larva after 3 or 4 days, so you could add the larva on that day. The next stage takes between 6 and 11 days depending on whether the bee is a future queen or a worker bee.

Bee Life Cycle Sensory Bin:

Materials needed:

  • plastic bin
  • black and yellow water beads
  • the life cycle of a honey bee pack
  • optional: small jar of honey to touch, taste, and smell

Life Cycle of a Honey BeeLife Cycle of a Honey BeeLife Cycle of a Honey BeeYellow Water BeadsYellow Water BeadsYellow Water BeadsBlack Water BeadsBlack Water BeadsBlack Water Beads

  1. Place the water beads in a plastic container. I used three packs of yellow beads and one pack of black water beads.
  2. Add water.
  3. Allow the water beads to expand fully (this will take several hours) before adding the items from the life cycle of a bee package.

Kids can use their hands to dig in the bin and touch each of the stages in the honey bee cycle. If you’ve included some honey, they will also be able to use their sense of taste and smell to enhance their learning.

This sensory bin engages the visual and tactile sensory systems and if honey is included, it also engages the olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste) systems as well. This is hands-on learning at its best.

If you’re doing a learning unit on bees, here are some other great resources to check out:

Free Bee Life Cycle Printables from Homeschool Preschoool

How to Make a Bee Habitat from Natural Beach Living

Printable Life Cycle of a Bee Layer Book from Passionate Curiosity

Books that would go along well with this unit:

Are You a Bee?Are You a Bee?Are You a Bee?Book Plus Bee Life Cycle Foam ModelBook Plus Bee Life Cycle Foam ModelBook Plus Bee Life Cycle Foam ModelThe Life and Times of the HoneybeeThe Life and Times of the HoneybeeThe Life and Times of the HoneybeeThe Life Cycle of a HoneybeeThe Life Cycle of a HoneybeeThe Life Cycle of a HoneybeeThe Bee BookThe Bee BookThe Bee BookFive Bizzy Honey BeesFive Bizzy Honey BeesFive Bizzy Honey Bees

Check out some of our other science related sensory bins:

Solar System Sensory Bin Solar System sensory bin glows in the dark

Insect Sensory Bin 

  • Total2.7K
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest2.7K
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Sensory, Sensory Bins Tagged With: sensory bin, sensory play

Insect Sensory Bin with Pasta

By Sharla Kostelyk

  • Total125
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest125
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

This Insect Sensory Bin is a great addition to a preschool unit on insects or Spring. It has a variety of textures and colours. This adds to both the visual and tactile sensory experiences.

Insect Sensory Bin #sensory #sensoryplay #sensorybins #sensoryscienceWe used this sensory bin while studying insects in our homeschool. The kids enjoyed playing in it. The green rice looks like grass and made us look forward to Spring.

My kids were quite surprised that there was a pasta shaped like insects! We used some of the pasta for the sensory bin and cooked the rest for lunch. This created a gustatory (taste) sensory experience for them as well.This particular sensory bin was one of the ones we had made in our sensory bin swap. That meant that when the kids and I got to the insect unit in our science, I could easily just dump the contents of the bag into a bin and voila!

Insect Sensory Bin:

  • rice dyed green*
  • insect shaped dry pasta
  • toy bugs
  • stretchy insects
  • spiders (see note below on spiders)

*you can find a tutorial on how to dye rice for sensory play here.

Bug Shaped PastaBug Shaped PastaBug Shaped PastaStretchy BugsStretchy BugsStretchy BugsPlastic Bugs and ArachnidsPlastic Bugs and ArachnidsPlastic Bugs and Arachnids

A note about the dyed rice:

When you’re finished using this sensory bin, you can store the green rice in a resealable plastic bag. The green rice makes a nice sensory bin base for a lot of different themes because it looks like grass. You can also use it inside sensory bottles or bags.

Spiders are not insects:

Yes, I know that spiders are not an insect. The kids wanted to add them and we actually used it as a compare and contrast science lesson on why they are not an insect. If you prefer to have this be an authentic insect sensory bin, simply leave the spiders out!

Ideas to expand the learning:

  • Add magnifying glasses to the sensory bin.
  • Set out books about insects and let the kids try to match them up.
  • Add scoops, small cups, and tweezers for fine motor skill practise.

You may also be interested in checking out these sensory bins:

Frog Sensory Bin Frog Sensory Bin Play

Spring Sensory Bin 

  • Total125
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest125
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Sensory, Sensory Bins Tagged With: sensory bin, sensory play

Winter Sensory Bins

a collage of different winter themed sensory bins and the words "Winter Sensory Bins"

By Sharla Kostelyk

  • Total162
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest162
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

It’s that time of year again. The snow is falling, temperatures are dropping, and kids are starting to go stir crazy! These winter sensory bins are a great way to bring the outdoors indoors without bringing the cold in with it.

Sensory play is an important part of development for all kids, particularly those who have sensory issues. The additional sensory input meets their needs and helps with emotional regulation and mood.

Winter Sensory Bins:

Winter Wonderland Sensory Bin from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Winter Sensory Tray from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Arctic Animals Sensory Bin at Teaching Mama

Snowman Sensory Bin at Every Star is Different

Snow Sensory Tub from Simple Fun for Kids

Animals Hibernating in Winter ~ Sensory Bins for Preschoolers from The Natural Homeschool

Winter Counting Sensory Table from The Imagination Tree

Arctic Sensory Bin from Adventures and Play

Frozen Oobleck Sensory Bin on Messy Little Monster

Pretend Snow Snowman Sensory Bin from Housing a Forest

Pretend Snow Sensory Bin from Mommy’s Bundle

Exploring Ice in the Sensory Table at Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds

Winter Diorama Ideas: Animals that Adapt in Winter from The Natural Homeschool

Mini Polar Sensory Bin from Mom Inspired Life

Figure Skating Sensory Bin from Every Star is Different

Pretend Snow Sensory Play with Trains from Play Trains

Winter Wonderland Small World Play from Buggy and Buddy

Snow Sensory Activity with Shaving Cream from 123 Homeschool 4 Me

Snow Slope Imaginary Play over at Picklebums

Bring the snow inside with this Real Snow Sensory Bin from Messy Little Monster

Simple Snowman Sensory Bin from Living Life and Learning

Snowball Water Play Winter Activity at Fantastic Fun and Learning

Winter Preschool Treasure Hunt Bin from Brain Power Boy

Winter Sensory Bin from Paper and Glue

Penguin Sensory Bins:

Penguin Sensory Bin from here on The Chaos and The Clutter

Penguin Sensory Bin from Adventures and Play

Make a Penguin Sensory Bin at Mama Smiles

Penguin Pretend Play from Nurture Store

Penguin Ice Play for Toddlers at Messy Little Monsters

Penguin Sensory Play from Fantastic Fun and Learning

As you can probably tell from these examples, sensory bins are simple to create. You likely have most of the supplies in your home today to make a sensory bin that your child would love. If you are looking for more in-depth information on creating sensory bins including filler ideas, sensory recipes, storage, and money saving ideas, you can find those in my ebook on Sensory Bins. Sensory Bins ebook Get 175 sensory activity ideas in convenient printable lists which are ideal for using in the home, classroom or in a therapeutic setting.

  • Total162
  • Facebook0
  • Twitter0
  • Pinterest162
  • Mix
  • Yummly0

Filed Under: Sensory Tagged With: sensory bin, sensory play

  • Go to page 1
  • Go to page 2
  • Go to page 3
  • Interim pages omitted …
  • Go to page 7
  • Go to Next Page »

Primary Sidebar

Categories

We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for us to earn fees by linking to Amazon.com and affiliated sites.

Copyright © 2023 • The Chaos and the Clutter • Site Design by Jeni @ The Blog Maven

Return to top of page

Copyright © 2023 · Chaos and the Clutter 2.0 on Genesis Framework · WordPress · Log in

Enter your email to receive this set of Sensory System Behaviours Easy Reference Cards!