What Is A Sensory Bin?
A sensory bin is typically a bin or container of various items that a child can touch and explore. This might include taste-safe items, toys, and even everyday household tools such as spoons, ladles, and even a spatula. You can customize each bin on a specific theme, such as a holiday or learning subject. Sensory bins are growing in popularity lately because it is convenient for parents and caregivers to put together, and it provides children with an engaging learning activity.
Rainstorm Sensory Bottles
This sensory activity makes for a great take-home craft. You’re going to want to make a trip to your local dollar store and grab a pack of blue and white straws. This helps to give the illusion of rainwater. You can also grab a pack of small water bottles, the little travel-size ones. You’ll also need cotton balls and a pair of scissors and a Sharpie. I love this activity for young toddlers because once it is all assembled, they can shake it around and be as loud (or as quiet) as they want.
Materials:
- Water Bottles
- Blue Straws
- Scissors
- Cotton Balls
- Sharpie
Let’s prep this activity. I like to have the children help out as much as they can whenever possible. This helps during transition periods when they might get a little crazier than at any other time of the day.
Once you have cut the straws into appropriate sizes, place that and the cotton balls in the middle of the table or next to the child where they can easily work on placing the items into the water bottles on their own. This is great fine motor and hand-eye coordination practice. When they are done, I put their names on it with the Sharpie and might even draw a thunder bolt on the side of the bottle. Close the bottles for them and allow them to shake, shake, shake all they want.
Other Ways To Play
Have the children shake the bottles to a specific rhythm or song. A great example of Weather theme songs are ones like Rain, Rain, Go Away, or The Itsy Bitsy Spider. Sing along as you shake the bottles to the rhythm. See if the children can follow along.
Count the “raindrops” and “clouds” inside of the bottle. Consider what your number of the week is and place as many of those items inside the bottle. In turn with the music activity, you can also count how many shakes it takes to sing the Itsy Bitsy Spider song.
Practice cognitive and vocabulary skills with this Weather themed sensory bottle. While you talk about things they see inside, discuss the preposition of the items. “This cloud is on top of the raindrop.” Or something like, “All of the raindrops are under the clouds.” You can use the actual terms of the items such as “Straws” and “Cotton balls” while adding phrases like, “Let’s pretend they are raindrops and clouds from the sky.” This helps to also build imagination, which helps increase creativity.
Go to my Toddlers Grow Store and check out this Toddlers Lesson Plan for yourself. It comes with easy-to-follow instructions, a materials list, and an already-to-go parent activity description. Perfect for your informal learning software.
If you liked this, head over to Toddlers Grow the Podcast for more fun educational activities and helpful tips.
