Birthday Sensory Bin

I have a secret to share….until last week I had never made a sensory bin. I know they are a popular activity for toddlers and preschoolers and I have seen them all over other blogs and Pinterest but for some reason I never made one for my kids. I am not sure what my hesitation was (maybe time) but they are super easy to make and don’t take much time at all.

What I love about this activity is that it was all child directed by my four year old. I did dye the rice (Click here for our easy colored rice recipe).  I originally put the rice in a bin with a few measuring cups and shovels but my four year old turned it into an activity that kept both kids busy all week.

We recently expanded our family with the birth of another little girl (who we call Jellybean).  To celebrate Jellybean’s “birth” day, Lil B (4) and M-Woww (2) had cupcakes on the day she was born because of this celebration we had extra birthday candles still on the counter when I set up the sensory bin. After a few scoops of rice with the shovel, Lil B asked if he could use the birthday candles.  He then proceeded to setup different birthday cakes and birthday celebrations in the sensory bin. M-Woww loved this idea and joined in with her own birthday creations. This kept them busy for quite a while!

Allowing free-time to play helps encourage problems solving and critical thinking skills. It is important to let children take ownership and direct their own projects or activities when possible. Read below on how to set up your own birthday sensory tub.

Disclaimer: As with all kid activities, adult supervision is recommended. If your child still puts everything in their mouth you may wish to wait and try this activity later.

Materials:

Colored Rice

Plastic Bin

Measuring Cups

Birthday Candles

Tutorial:

Step 1: Color Rice

Step 2: Set up the invitation to play. Pour rice into the plastic bin and add whatever cups and candles you wish.

Step 3: Play!

We had so much fun I think we will do another sensory bin soon.

What is your favorite sensory bin?