It is no surprise to me that two of my first blog posts are about sensory bins. I absolutely love sensory bins!
What is a sensory bin? A sensory bin is just that, a bin (or a box, or a container, or a tray… whatever you would like to use), filled with a collection of items. They usually start with a filler or base (I will be adding a list of those in a new blog post coming SOON) and items to target different skills, holidays, seasons, or learning themes.
Why are sensory bins used? Sensory bins are a wonderful way to expand students vocabulary, have them work on fine motor skills (scooping, transferring, pinching, pouring, stirring, etc.), and encourage them to engage in cooperative play. They provide children with an opportunity to learn in a hands on way that uses their different senses.
What is in this winter bin?
I started with a filler of cotton balls and different blue pom poms. The blue pom poms were different shades and textures.
Here is a list of the other items added to this bin:
- Winter Blues Porcupine Balls – comes in a 36 pack from Oriental Trading
- Blue Plastic Igloos, which are actually hamster huts from the pet store
- Plastic Animal Figurines from Target Dollar Spot and Dollar Tree (here is a link to some similar large penguins)
- Mittens Tongs from Hobby Lobby (they usually have these every year in the Fall)
- Fake Ice Cubes
Here is the sensory bin I have in my classroom, although you do not need a big bin like this.
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Do you use sensory bins in your classroom or at home?
