The Ultimate Guide To Sensory Bin Fillers For Sensory Play (2024)

Sensory play is an important part of development for small children. Sensory play helps children to explore and stimulate some or all of the senses and make connections and process the world around them.

One of the easiest ways to add sensory play to your child’s day is through sensory bins. They allow your child to explore through his senses in a contained area.

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Sensory bins are usually created around a central theme with everything in the bin being related to that central theme.

For example, in my Yellow Themed Sensory Bin– everything in the box- from the filler to the extras, is yellow.

There is a great big sensory bin world out there, so what exactly do you fill a sensory bin with?? Here’s the ultimate list of sensory bin fillers for you to use in creating your own sensory bins for your child to explore.

The Ultimate Guide To Sensory Bin Fillers For Sensory Play (1)

The Ultimate List of Sensory Bin Fillers

Sensory bin fillers are really only limited to your imagination, but to give you an idea of how vast the choices are, let’s take a look.

Food Sensory Bin Fillers

Food items are great options for filling sensory bins. Most of these fillers are easy and inexpensive to buy in bulk and offer endless sensory options. Here are some food-based, edible sensory bin filler options:

Rice– Rice is cheap and feels great on the skin. It is easily dyed so you can make it match the theme of your choice.

Dry Pasta– Pasta comes in all shapes and sizes, making it easy to create new and interesting sensory bins. Pasta is also easily dyed different colors.

Cooked Pasta– Cooking the pasta first adds a whole new level to the sensory play. And kids love feeling noodles slip between their fingers.

Dry Corn– I love using whole kernel corn (for feeding animals) in sensory bins. If you don’t want to use animal grade corn, try popping corn kernels or buy food-grade corn from your bulk food source.

Cereal– Cereal is another great sensory bin filler. We don’t eat colorful, sugar filled cereals- but we play with them all the time! (Check out these 13 Fruit Loop Activities to see how we use it!)

Dry Beans– Any variety of dry beans are a great option for filling sensory bins. Black Beans especially feel nice and soothing on the skin!

Tapioca PearlsTapioca makes an edible alternative to the very popular water beads!

Rock Salt– The large crystals of this salt make it a ton of fun to play in.

Corn Meal– Corn meal- or any meal or flour– makes a fun and inexpensive filler to explore

Split Peas/Lentils– These seeds are smaller than beans and naturally come in a variety of colors

Coffee Beans– Using coffee beans as a sensory bin filler adds an extra scent factor to your bin

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Best Non-Food Sensory Bin Fillers

Cotton Balls– Soft, white, inexpensive. Cotton is a great filler.

Shredded Paper– You can buy shredded paper or make your own.

Water Beads– Water beads are one of the most fun items to fill a sensory bin with. Check out my 8 Water Bead Activity post to learn more about this filler.

Marbles– You can buy marbles or glass gems in a ton of colors, shapes and sizes.

Sand– It’s like a sand box, but inside! You can even buy colored sand, or dye your own.

Aquarium Gravel– Another fun filler is aquarium gravel. It comes it lots of really bright colors which make your sensory bins all that more interesting.

Check out this fun Fish Tank Sensory Bin for an idea of how to use aquarium gravel as a sensory bin filler.

Pop-Poms– Pom-poms are like cotton- soft and feel great on the hands. But they come in lot of different sizes and colors.

Beads– Pony beads, wooden beads, clay beads. Basically any kind of bead you want would make a fun filler. How about these square alphabet beads for working with preschoolers learning their letters?

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Nature Sensory Bin Fillers

Water– Kids love water. And it’s good clean fun.

Check out my Soap and Water Sensory Play article to see how much fun simple soap and water can be.

Bird Seed– Birdseed is a fun sensory bin filler since it’s got different sizes, shapes, and colors to explore.

Dry Leaves– who doesn’t remember making leaf piles to jump in as a kid? Bring that fun inside by filling a sensory bin with dry leaves. Or buy fake leaves.

Flowers– Spring and summer are filled with blossoms. Why not pick a few to bring in for sensory play?

See how to use flowers in a Nature Based Sensory Activity!

Pebbles/Rocks– What kid wouldn’t want to create his own construction site in a bin filled with rocks or gravel?

Dirt/Soil– You can’t get more free than dirt! And kids love to play in the dirt. Or add water and play in the mud!

Sticks or Twigs– Sticks are fun to build with. Lots of little sticks and twigs filling a sensory bin will encourage imaginative building!

Acorns– If you have oak trees, you have acorns. And probably lots of them!

Pine cones– Same with pine cones, bring them inside and let the kids play!

Grass– Freshly mowed grass has a wonderful smell and feel. Let your child explore in it!

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Seasonal Sensory Bin Fillers

Easter Grass– Easter grass is a fun way to combine the celebration of Easter with sensory play

Check out this fun Easter Themed Sensory Bin!

Instant SnowInstant snow can be used in a variety of winter or Christmas themed sensory bins

Pumpkin Seeds– Pumpkin seeds are the perfect base for a Halloween or Fall themed sensory bin

Tinsel– Sparkly tinsel can be used for Christmas or New Years sensory bins or even to make a 4th of July Firework bin!

Colored Sensory Bin Fillers

Here are some ideas for sensory bin fillers based on color:

Yellow– Corn, corn meal, dyed rice or pasta

Green– Easter grass, grass clippings, dyed pasta or rice, split peas

White– Cotton balls, instant snow, packing peanuts, white beans, shredded paper

Black– Black beans, soil, coffee beans. dyed rice or pasta

Red– Shredded paper, dyed rice or pasta,

Orange– Orange leaves- real or fake, dyed pasta or rice, shredded paper, candy corn/pumpkins, orange lentils

This, of course, is not an complete list- I could go on and on.

But anything somewhat small in size and fun to dig your hands into! Jelly beans, popped corn, shaving cream, playdough, moon sand, poly-fill, ANYTHING!

The Ultimate Guide To Sensory Bin Fillers For Sensory Play (2024)

FAQs

What are the learning outcomes of the sensory bin? ›

Sensory bins promote language development.

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.

How many pounds of beans for sensory bin? ›

All the scooping, filling and pouring really helps strengthen Liam's fine and gross motor skills, too! SUPPLIES: Sensory Bin with a lid (An under the bed storage tote works perfectly!) 8-10 lbs of black beans.

Are sensory bins considered science? ›

Sensory bins let children learn through hands-on play. With just a few common household materials, you can make a toy that will keep your child entertained for hours and help them develop their motor, social, literacy, math, and science skills.

What liquid do you put in sensory bags? ›

You can use canola oil, vegetable oil or baby oil. It really doesn't matter. Next stir several drops of food coloring into a half cup of water. Pour the water and food coloring into the bag.

How many water beads does it take to fill a sensory bin? ›

I actually prefer 1 tsp of water beads per 1 1/2 cups of water. Otherwise, you end up with too much excess water in the bin! Just fill your bin with the amount of water that you would like to use, sprinkle the water beads throughout, and watch them grow!

What are the benefits of sensory bin play? ›

Sensory bins can boost your child's motor skills. Additionally, adding toy tools such as shovels, spoons, and tweezers can help develop coordination as well. Actions like scooping, digging, and pouring toys and materials will all help improve motor skills. Sensory bins can be a great tool to help your child learn!

What do children gain from sensory play? ›

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.

Can I use beans in a sensory bin? ›

These foundational benefits will serve your children well into adulthood. However, the sensory materials used within the bins can either be helpful or harmful for children. For example, sensory bin beans are unsafe because raw or undercooked beans are toxic, while the benefits of rice sensory play are numerous!

Is rice good for sensory bin? ›

Rice Sensory Bin 💕 For older babies and toddlers (out of the heavy mouthing stage), rice sensory bins are a great way to engage your little's senses and keep them busy. This is a superb activity to learn fine motor skills like scooping and pouring, and set up is so easy.

What are the best dried beans for sensory play? ›

Black beans are fantastic for many different sensory bin themes. The black color is versatile and makes objects stand out. Constructive Playthings has a tremendous sensory table that is deep enough to keep the beans inside while playing.

What age is a sensory bin for? ›

At the toddler stage, from ages 2 to 3, kids are typically ready to engage with more toys. A great place to start are sensory bins—literally, a bin or box filled with various materials meant to stimulate the senses.

Are sensory bins necessary? ›

Sensory bins provide children with the opportunity to explore and learn through hands-on tactile play that engages their senses. These bins encourage and support various types of development and are great activities to have in your home.

What age is a sensory table for? ›

Sensory Table for Kids is perfect for sorting games, sculpting and exploring new textures. Age Range from 1 year to 6 years. Conforms to the Montessori method.

What should I put in my sensory box? ›

A sensory bin or sensory box is a simple container filled with a preferred filler in quantity. Our favorite fillers include craft sand, birdseed, colored rice, and water! The container should be large enough to let your child explore without spilling the filler out.

How do sensory bins work? ›

Sensory bins can be themed for holidays, seasons and academic skills. Sensory bins stimulate multiple senses at the same time, including touch, sight, sound and smell. You can place small objects in a container of dry rice, pasta, beans or water.

Are dried beans safe for sensory bin? ›

These foundational benefits will serve your children well into adulthood. However, the sensory materials used within the bins can either be helpful or harmful for children. For example, sensory bin beans are unsafe because raw or undercooked beans are toxic, while the benefits of rice sensory play are numerous!

Is uncooked rice safe to play with toddlers? ›

On many forums and groups, practitioners use dried rice in play which is plain or coloured. We have been advised that we remove rice from our provision for all ages as it is not suitable for any child to play with due to the potential risks it can present.

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