I love sensory bins! Everything but the mess that is! In a daycare or preschool classroom, or pediatric occupational therapy clinic for children, sensory bins are great ways to play. And switching them out for a new theme every month is a great idea!
Once only found in classrooms or therapy spaces, sensory bins have gone mainstream! They can now be purchased on Amazon and Target!
What is the Purpose of Sensory Bins?
Sensory bins are a great way to increase sensory input for children (or even adults!) who crave sensory tactile input. They are also a great way to sneak other developmental activities such as scooping and finding hidden objects into fun sensory play for children who are hard to engage in adult-directed play, have decreased joint attention, or have a short attention span.
What Age are Sensory Bins Good for?
All ages! Babies, toddlers, preschoolers, kindergarteners, and even older children! We should vary the ingredients in a sensory bin based not only on the child's age but also if that child tends to put things into their mouths. With babies and children who continue to mouth objects make sure the items in the bin are either edible or too large to choke on.
Who are Sensory Bins Good for?
Children with sensory processing disorder oftentimes LOVE and crave sensory tactile input. Even children with tactile defensiveness sometimes like to touch certain textures. Just remember not to push sensations on a child who does not like them!
Why are Sensory Bins Good for Autism?
Children with autism tend to have sensory processing disorders.
What Should be in a Sensory Bin?
Anything! Sensory bins can be very basic from rice or water. Or many teachers and therapists have enjoyed making more intricate themed sensory bins. Even companies have started selling sensory bins!
How to Play with Sensory Bins
There are so many great ways to play with sensory bins! My favorites are:
Transfer with spoons (I love this one for a way to work on feeding goals!)
Hiding items in the sensory bucket
Even better hide items such as puzzle pieces! I love this simple puzzle.
Put your feet in the bin
Get in the bucket!
What Skills can Pediatric Occupational Therapists Work on with Sensory Bins?
I love being creative with sensory bins! So many OT areas can be addressed through play activities that use sensory bins. This includes:
tactical seeking behaviors
tactile defensiveness
tactile discrimination
visual discrimination
figure-ground discrimination
sorting/matching
cognitive skills when asking the child to find certain items
eye-hand coordination
scooping for feeding
fine motor control
the list goes on!
Different Types of Textures to Put into Sensory Bins
Both wet and dry textures can be put into sensory bins. My favorite simple dry sensory bins are rice, lentils, pasta, and coffee beans. For wet, I love water beads or shaving cream. A lot of time easy is actually best!
What Type of Bucket Should I Use?
Definitely one with a top! Make sure you select a bin or bucket for your sensory bin that is large enough to move the ingredients around without it easily flying everywhere. But also one that has low enough sides that you can sit on the floor and play.
How Not to Make a Mess!
Having fun with sensory bins is a lot easier when you are not worried about the inevitable mess that will be made. Clean-up is easier in a classroom or daycare setting. But at home, some setup is required.
One reason I recommend a bin with low enough sides to sit on the floor and play. Place a sheet on the floor and the bucket on it to play.
As an early intervention occupational therapist bringing these items into a home for therapy sessions, I would then roll up the sheet, bring it outside and shake it clean!
If you are playing with wet items a plastic table cloth may work well.
Other Fun Ideas and Examples of Sensory Bins
What are the Best Items to Fill the Bin With?
Easy is best! Pick one item, add a few items to scoop with, and viola! I like to have a few different buckets and rotate them.
Rice – any rice works!
Colored Rice
Coffee Beans
Popcorn Kernels
Pasta
Cotton Balls
Slime
Jello/gelatin
Shaving Cream
Flour
Sugar
Chickpeas
Beans
Oatmeal
Water Beads
Rubber Bands
Moon Sand
Water
Tissue Paper
Holiday Monthly Sensory Bin Ideas
Want to be a little more creative? Check out these ideas by the month!
Some sample objectives that you may be trying to improve with sensory strategies might be to increase tolerance for a non-preferred activity (seat work, being in a store, novel food), decrease outbursts or other undesirable actions, or demonstrate an ability to self regulate (identifying personal alertness level, self ...
A sensory bin is a plastic container filled with items that are used to engage a child's senses. Typically, these include items such as pompoms, kinetic sand, shredded paper, dried foods such as rice or beans, buttons, packing peanuts, and more.
Toddlers and preschoolers can learn about basic concepts such as full/empty, up/down, above/below, or same/different while they are pouring, sorting, and moving the objects in the sensory bin.
Some areas of focus for children with sensory challenges include decreasing tactile, vestibular, auditory, and oral sensitivity, and or having children know and find strategies that work for them to regulate their bodies and modulate the sensory input.
Examples of these latter techniques and practices include auditory integration-based approaches, music therapy, weighted blankets, swinging, brushing, deep pressure, massage, joint compression, vestibular stimulation (note 1 and 2).
Those who are having trouble seeking sensory input effectively can be treated through occupational therapy, which will help them interact with their environment more successfully.
Sensory Breaks: Allow your child to take short breaks throughout the day to engage in sensory activities that help them calm down and focus. This could include activities such as deep pressure exercises, jumping on a trampoline, squeezing a stress ball, or using a sensory toy.
What Is a Sensory Bin? A sensory bin is a shallow container that combines filler material and various small odds and ends. You fill the bin with a filler material such as sand or rice, then add items from around the house such as spoons or measuring cups. Let your child explore the items and have fun playing.
Essentially, a sensory bin is a container filled with materials specifically chosen to stimulate the senses, allowing the child to explore and interact with the items as they choose. Sensory play is a great way to expose your child to a variety of textures, facilitate communication, and actively engage with your child.
Sensory play is a lot of fun. It also offers many benefits for child development, including: Helping children understand how their actions affect what's around them. Supporting brain development, enhancing memory, complex tasks and problem solving.
Sensory play can help your child develop fine motor skills like tying their shoe, writing and zipping their coat. Through tactile play that focuses on building, pouring and mixing, your child builds on their ability to use small muscle groups and coordinate movements.
The therapist's general goals are: (1) to provide the child with sensory information which helps organize the central nervous system, (2) to assist the child in inhibiting and/or modulating sensory information, and (3) to assist the child in processing a more organized response to sensory stimuli.
Those goals might include increasing the amount of learning time in between sensory breaks, learning self-advocacy to ask for when they need a sensory break or increasing the amount of time they can tolerate something, such as noise or activity.
With ASI, trained occupational therapists aim to help people improve their sensory symptoms by using various therapeutic tools in a clinical setting, with the goal of: stimulating the senses through sensory input. challenging fine and gross motor planning. encouraging movement of the body.
Introduction: My name is Kelle Weber, I am a magnificent, enchanting, fair, joyous, light, determined, joyous person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
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