The Beginner’s Guide to Sensory Bins - Active Littles (2024)

The Beginners Guide to Sensory Bins

Oh! Sensory bins, sensory bins! How I love myself a nice sensory bin.

You’ve heard about them and you might be thinking what is that?! Oh! you are in for a treat!

• It is a fun, creative and engaging bin made of infinite possibilities in conjunction with your child’s imagination 🙂 The play possibilities are endless and in some instances, mama can get stuff done around the house! Two thumbs up for that!

Below are five sensory bins I have come up with:

• Rainbow Lentil Sensory Bin
• Rainbow Foam Sensory Bin
• Noodles Sensory Bin
• Rice Sensory Bin
• Halloween Themed Sensory Bin

What is a Sensory bin?

Sensory bins are just as its name states: a bin used to stimulate the senses.

• It is a tangible experience in a contained area such as a storage bin, bottle, tub, or bag. These receptacles can be filled with specific objects such as rice, sand, beans…
• Our absolute favorite fillers are plain ol’ h2o and/or dyed rice! If you want to add a scenery or a theme to it, it makes it all the better! You can add tiny amounts of food grade dye to learn colors, or a farm with your child’s favorite figure toys including a tractor. The possibilities are endless. It can be anything you and/or your child want it to be. That is the beauty and creative expression of the open ended sensory bin. There are hundreds upon hundreds of different types of ways you can go about creating a bin for your child.
• If you’ve never made one before, get ready! It is awesome.

Why make a Sensory bin, sensory bottle, or sensory bag?

If you’re like me a few years back, you probably would’ve thought this is way too simple to keep my child engaged. How is this going to keep my child engaged?! Hear me out:

• Sensory bins, sensory bottles, or sensory bags, bring about amazing benefits! Some of which are creativity, fine motor development, stimulation of hearing, touch, and sight {senses}.
• Sensory bins help a child to learn, calm down, and engage in their own creativity using their imagination. The sensory component in their engaging play allows your child to keep playing as it fills that void for them. The rice falling in between their fingers, the scooping of beans into a bowl, or the splashing of bubbles and water are all wonderful stimulating sensory play.
• Sensory bottles are amazing as well! The glitter and glue moving around slowly inside almost like a lava lamp. Or how about the sensory bag filled with a different colored dye and glitter in each for stimulation of touch or sight senses. Its all about the senses becoming stimulated!
• These all play a very important role in allowing children to explore, create, imagine, and learn new ideas as they engage in play. Sounds awesome right?! I think so too. Here are some we created: Here are other ones we love:

How to get started with a sensory bins, sensory bottles, and/or sensory bags

• Sensory bins are very simple to create. You most likely have supplies in your kitchen cupboard, that would be engaging for your child. If you are looking for inspiration to create your very own sensory bin, sensory bottle and/or sensory bag, here is the method I use:
  • Choosing a bin, bottle, or bag
  • Fillers such as manipulatives, rices, beans…
  • Scoopers, Shovels, Buckets:
  • Theme (Optional)
• I have created the ultimate list of Sensory Bin ideas below.

Here are over ‘101 Sensory Bin Ideas‘ with all kinds of themes: (Please keep in mind some of these items may be choking hazards for little ones, so please always supervise.) Hope you enjoy!

• 1. Princess Sensory Bin
  2. Shaving Cream Sensory Bin
  3. Cooked Pasta Sensory Bin
  4. Dried Pasta Sensory Bin
  5. Rice Sensory Bin
  6. Beans Sensory Bin
  7. Foam Sensory Bin
  8. Wash the fruits Sensory Bin
  9. Wash the Vegetables Sensory Bin
  10. Sponge Play Sensory Bin
  11. Paint Sensory Bin
  12. Themed Sensory Bin
  13. Water Play Sensory Bin
  14. Funnel Sensory Bin
  15. Oats Sensory Bin
  16. Super Hero Themed Sensory Bin
  17. Birthday Themed Sensory Bin
  18. Affirmations Sensory Bin
  19. Printables Sensory Bin
  20. Educational Sensory Bin
  21. Learn Colors Sensory Bin
  22. Learn Numbers Sensory Bin
  23. Hide and Seek Sensory Bin
  24. Find the Letters Sensory Bin
  25. Corn Meal Sensory Bin
  26. Farm House Sensory Bin
  27. Animals Sensory Bin
  28. Sea Animals Sensory Bin
  29. Bugs Sensory Bin
  30. Beads Sensory Bin
  31. Water Beads Sensory Bin
  32. Cooked Beans Sensory Bin
  33. Cooked Garbanzos Sensory Bin
  34. Pudding Sensory Bin
  35. Dyed white pudding Sensory Bin
  36. Whipped Cream for fun Sensory Bin
  37. Whipped Cream for educational Sensory Bin
  38. Cooked Oatmeal Sensory Bin
  39. Snow Sensory Bin
  40. Faux Snow Sensory Bin
  41. Cotton Balls Sensory Bin
  42. Easter Sensory Bin
  43. Easter Egg Sensory Bin
  44. Easter Grass Sensory Bin
  45. Mothers Day Sensory Bin
  46. Fathers Day Sensory Bin
  47. Fourth of July Sensory Bin
  48. Valentines Sensory Bin
  49. Thanksgiving Sensory Bin
  50. Christmas Sensory Bin
  51. Hanukkah Sensory Bin
  52. Food Sensory Bin
  53. Nature Sensory Bin
  54. Gift wrap paper Sensory Bin
  55. Empty Paper Roll Sensory Bin
  56. Craft Sticks Sensory Bin
  57. Craft Feathers Sensory Bin
  58. Pieces of Fabric Sensory Bin
  59. Pom Pom Sensory Bin
  60. Dyed water Sensory Bin
  61. Water with Pom Poms Sensory Bin
  62. Pouring water Sensory Bin
  63. Shred the Corn Sensory Bin
  64. Peel the Fruits Sensory Bin
  65. Wash the Pumpkins Sensory Bin
  66. Dinosaur Sensory Bin
  67. Marbles Sensory Bin
  68. Kinetic Sand Sensory Bin
  69. Ocean Sand Sensory Bin
  70. Dirt Sensory Bin
  71. Popcorn Kernels Sensory Bin
  72. Jelly Beans Sensory Bin
  73. Sea shells Sensory Bin
  74. Mermaid Sensory Bin
  75. Acorns Sensory Bin
  76. Bird Seed Sensory Bin
  77. Lentils Sensory Bin
  78. Dried Split Peas Sensory Bin
  79. Foam Paper Sensory Bin
  80. Ice Sensory Bin
  81. Craft Beads Sensory Bin
  82. Cereal Sensory Bin
  83. Slime Sensory Bin
  84. Clear Rainbow Slime Sensory Bin
  85. Foam Slime Sensory Bin
  86. Under the Sea Sensory Bin
  87. Galactic Sensory Bin
  88. Gel Enclosed Sensory Bags Taped shut for Babies
  89. Butterfly Garden Sensory Bin
  90. Fairies Sensory Bin
  91. I spy Sensory Bin
  92. Shredded Paper Sensory Bin
  93. Pet Shop Sensory Bin
  94. Wash the Toy Dog Sensory Bin
  95. Frozen Water Beads Sensory Bin
  96. Threading Station Sensory Bin
  97. Pool Noodle Sensory Bin
  98. Muddy Cocoa Powder Sensory Bin
  99. Marshmallow and Pretzel Sticks Sensory Bin
  100. Shaving Cream and Water Beads Sensory Bin
  101. Construction Site Sensory Bin

So there you have it! 101 Sensory Bin ideas for Sensory Play! Do you have an idea you may want to add? Please leave me a comment down below. I’d love to include your sensory bin idea in this list!

Tips for Success in Sensory bins 101

How do you present a sensory bin to your child? After you’ve thought out a theme with or without your child, you can set up an invitation to play.

• Encourage them to use their imagination to come up with creative stories or explorative play ideas. You can go about asking them, “what do you feel/see/hear?” Some children will jump right in and explore independent play. Some may be shy in the beginning but slowly with a little help watching you scoop and pour, they’ll get it and finally come up with their own form of play.
• Sensory Bottles are also a great form of sensory play. My favorite is filled with glitter, water, and glue. The glue mixed with the water slows down the movement which makes for slow glitter movement and fascination. The measurements are approx. 1/2 of water and 1/2 of glue. Check out all our sensory bottles here…
• Sensory Bags are also great and very easy to make. I use a ziplock bag secured with duct tape (especially for the littles). They can be filled with so many different types of fillings. Check out here for more.

Sensory items and fillings aren’t very costly. Your very own kitchen cupboard probably has some sensory fillings waiting to be used. I find most of my sensory fillings at the Dollar store or Target Dollar Spot.

Common Questions/FAQ About Sensory bins

• What about the mess made from Sensory bins

  • The mess is one of the main questions I hear all the time.
  • Yes, some rice may escape the bin but there are a couple options. You can place a sheet, blanket or towel under the bin. Once your children are done playing, the rice can be poured back into the bin by the towel. You can also allow it only in the yard or front porch.
  • Remember, a sensory bin is almost like a toy. I teach my children not to throw toys, but rather engage with it. They don’t scatter the toys around the house but rather play with it grounded in one place. Once they finish up with a toy, they put it back where it belongs. It’s the same for sensory bins. They know to play with the sensory bin in a controlled setting without throwing it everywhere.
  • The youngest child will probably be the most challenging only because they are still learning right from wrong.
  • Consistency and repetition will be in favor here. Accidents will happen and thats okay! If your anything like me, I love to vacuum. If some falls Ill just vacuum it right up. Its therapy for me. It stimulates my senses :). You can also use a broom or mop which may leave your floors shinier than they were before. Bonus points for that!

• Can I make a sensory bin for multiple aged children?

  • Yes! My children are 3 and soon to be 6. Both can definitely benefit from the engagement and exploration of a sensory bin, but my challenge lies here: I want to be able to provide a more challenging sensory bin for my 6 year old while my 3 year old is still in the learning fine motor stage and wanting to be ‘big’ like her older sister. If you have a third sibling who may be a baby, supervision is a must in this instance as babies tend to put items in their mouth while exploring. Definitely challenging! So, how do I alter the bin to meet the needs of each child.
    • For Babies:
      • Grasp and transfer items. Adding small buckets, scoopers, spoons, and/or containers.
      • Vocalize their experience. You can say, “The school bus is yellow” or “Is that a toy cow?”.
      • Contain it in a sensory bag. This is great for a baby because they like to put things in their mouth. Make sure to tape around the edges that open for extra security. **Supervision is a must.
    • For Preschoolers:
      • Add Manipulatives.Wooden toys, toy chest toys, themed toys, foam letters/numbers.. The possibilities are endless.
      • Unique Grasp and transfer items.You can add tongs, funnels, kitchen utensils, muffin tins, whisks along with the items mentioned for baby. These are great for fine motor skills.
    • For Grade school children:
      • Subject learning bin. Including science/math based flashcards or wooden dinosaur bones.. get creative!
      • Completing puzzles.You can add puzzle pieces or words that make up a sentence for them to find!
      • Game it up!You can create a game with a dice and manipulatives through the corn kernels, or a game of i spy something .. red!
  • Sensory bins, sensory bottles and sensory bags can be both fun and/or educational!

• How can I make my own rice sensory bin?
  • A sensory rice bin is a very inexpensive and fun way for children to enjoy exploring their senses. So how do you make one? There are a ton of different kinds, unique in their own way. A rice sensory bin has got to be the easiest and most common sensory bin. Heres how to create an easyrice sensory bin for your children in 3 easy steps.Here we go:
    • Step 1: You will need a bin.Do you have an empty bin you don’t use? Use this or purchase one. We buy ours at Target. The container should be shallow enough but large in width for play. We use different sets of bins. Our most common ones that we use are Sterilite brand 28qt, Room Essentials brand 16’11’7 or a small 6.3qt.
    • Step 2: Add rice. If you have plain rice at home, great! If not you will need to purchase rice.You can just use rice as is or if you’d like to go the extra mile, you can dye it! This is considerably great if you have a specific theme you’d like to implement. For example, if its Valentines Day, you may want to dye pink rice. If its Christmas, you may want to dye your rice the colors red and green.
    • Step 3: Fill your bin.I like tofill my bin to a 1/3 portion. 1 rice to 3 bin. If you prefer different, that is okay! You can add scoopers, spoons, and/or grasp and transfer tools. You can add manipulatives such as pom poms, themed erasers, rocks, foam letters, small toys your children already play with… Keep in mind, you may already own simple items already in your home! Setting up a sensory rice bin can be a very inexpensive set up!

• How do I dye rainbow rice or noodles for a sensory bin?

• There are many different options when it comes to dyeing rice for sensory bins and Ill get into them here.
  • The way we dye our rice: I dye our rice with alcohol. It is the only way I have dyed it and it worked out well. I like the idea of it sanitizing the rice. Here are our measurements:
    • 1 cup of white rice
    • 8-10 drops food coloring of your choice
    • 1 tsp of rubbing alcohol
    • ziplock bags
    • paper towel and tray for drying
    • Instructions:
      • I simply insert rice in a ziplock bag
      • Add the food coloring and rubbing alcohol.
      • I then shake and move it around.
      • Once I see that the rice is fully coated, I remove the rice and place on paper towel and tray for drying.
      • Once dry, {usually the next morning because I like to make mine at night before bed} it is ready for a sensory bin!
  • A different approach to dye rice: Dyeing rice with vinegar in replacement of rubbing alcohol is also very common. Dyeing rice with paint instead of food coloring is also very common.
    • 1 cup of white rice
    • 1 teaspoon of vinegar
    • 1-2 blobs of paint (use best judgment)
    • ziplock bags
    • paper towel and tray for drying
    • Instructions:
      • Insert plain white rice into sensory bag. If you are creating different colors, double, triple… the ziplock bags as each will be for a different color.
      • Add a glob or 2 of different colored paint in each ziplock bag filled with rice.
      • Once completed, zip the bag right up {make sure there is no air inside}.
      • Shake and squish the rice all around inside the bag until you see the rice change color right before your eyes! Make sure it is evenly dispersed.
      • Remove the rice and lay out on towel/tray. The drying stage will usually last about 1 hour. If you have essential oils, you can add a few drops of those to make for a yummy smelling experience.
• Both options bring about the most beautiful vibrant and colorful rice!

• Sensory bin ideas I LOVE from other bloggers

  • Sensory bins are just plain awesome! Here are a couple of my favorite sensory bins from top bloggers I love!
    • Ice Table Sensory Bin from Susie with BusyToddler
      • Transfer and Scoop with ice! Perfect Fine motor activity!
    • Lemon Sensory Bin from Beth with DayswithGrey
      • The smell of lemons and color mixing sensory bin?.. Count me in!
    • Fall and Autumn Sensory Bins from MyBoredToddler
      • These are great for 1, 2 and 3 year olds! Yes.
    • Dyeing rainbow rice from TheImaginationTree
      • I love this alternative of dyeing rice with paint!
    • Jello Noodle Sensory Play from Myriam with Mothercould
      • I absolutely love how she incorporates jello into the mixture!
    • Snow Hunt Sensory bin from Funwithmama
      • Want to learn about snow animals? This is it!

The Last Thing You Need to Know about Sensory Bins

• Sensory bins are a wonderful way for your child to explore their imagination. Have fun with it! They may be into dinosaurs or butterflies. Take this as a cue to set up a dinosaur or butterfly sensory bin! Remember, let them take the lead and watch as they engage in such a wonderful activity.
• If you like my take on sensory bins, please make sure to share this with someone who may be interested in sensory bins! Don’t forget to leave a comment below letting me know some of your favorite sensory bins. Have you created one your child absolutely loved? How did it go? If you’d like to check out more of our activities, follow us on instagram: activelittles 🙂