Trust me when I say that you’re going to LOVE these fun sensory bins for little kids! Sensory bins are a great way to explore and learn in a variety of ways. These super amazing sensory bins are a great way to keep kids busy too.
What is sensory play?
Sensory play describes any activity that involves any of a child's five senses of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to explore scientific processes while they play, create and investigate.
What are sensory bins?
A sensory bin is simply a container filled with a substance such as rice, sand, water beads, beans, seed or water. The container should be large enough to let the child explore without removing the filler substance.
To this other items are added to create a theme, such as spring with flowers and butterflies, or perhaps construction vehicles. The filler may also be themed, for example coloured rice or sand for a rainbow sensory bin.
Why are sensory bins good for children?
Sensory plan is engaging and fun, it may also help to focus and calm a child. The benefits of sensory bins include sensory exploration using a variety of senses: touch, sight, sounds, taste, and smell.
Children love to play and explore in a sensory bin, and it will facilitate learning, particularly STEM skills. Sensory bins are also a great opportunity for children to learn to play co-operatively.
See: How to Make Fun Sensory Bins for Young Learners
The BEST Sensory Bins for Kids
I’ve rounded up some of our FAVOURITE sensory bins into one list for you. You’ll find everything here including a frog pond, a pouring station, and a shaving cream bin. But that doesn’t even begin to cover all the fun ideas I’ve listed here. You are sure to find lots of fun ideas to try.
Whether you use bins to keep kids busy or you want to incorporate some learning in there, you’ll find plenty to suit your needs. Kids will get to practice their fine motor skills, explore their senses, and so much more, including some sneaky learning!
Here's our list of fun sensory activities and super amazing sensory bins little kids will love.
Letters & Bubbles Sensory Play
Using foam letters and bubbles, kids can practice letters! Work on letter recognition or even spelling. They will have so much fun playing in the bubbles.
Frog Pond Sensory Play Activity
Little kids who love frogs will really enjoy this one! It uses water beads, multiple bins, and a whole lot of fun toys! Perfect if you are exploring a frog life cycle study.
Ice Cream Sensory Bin
Have some fun pretending you’re scooping ice cream! This activity uses cotton balls, sequins, and a few other accessories.
Ocean Sensory Bin
What a fun way to learn about the ocean! This bin includes using water, food colouring, sand, and other fun beach supplies!
Butterfly Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is SO FUN when exploring butterflies! This bin includes coloured rice, tweezers, toy butterflies, and other fun supplies!
Bug Sensory Bin
So simple, yet fun! This bin is great for exploring bugs as it includes black beans and toy bugs!
Safari Sensory Bin
If you’ve ever wanted to check out a safari, this is a fun sensory bin idea! It includes coloured rice and lots of fun toys!
Planting Seeds Sensory Bin
Learn about seeds and counting with this bin! Kids will have fun planting, pouring, watering, counting, and much more. It uses black beans, flower pots, numbers, and a few other accessories.
Space Sensory Bin
This is such a fun bin for budding astronauts! This bin includes chickpeas, stars, and other space toys. Kids will have so much fun pretending they’re blasting through space.
Winter Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is such a fun idea for the winter months! Pretend you’re shoveling snow with cotton balls and a few other fun toys.
Car Sensory Bin
How fun is this?! Kids who love cars will have a lot of fun with this idea. All you need are black beans, straws, pom poms, toilet paper rolls, and some toy cars!
Dinosaur Sensory Bin
Dinosaur fans everywhere will LOVE this one! It even includes an edible erupting volcano. Follow the recipe for the erupting volcano and then all you need is some dinosaurs!
Creepy Sensory Bin
This creepy cool sensory bin is so much fun for older kids! The coloured pasta and spooky eyeballs make a great sensory bin idea. It’s fun all year round, and great for Scooby Doo fans!
Rainbow Chickpeas Sensory Bin
This is such a fun way to explore color! All you need is paint and chickpeas, but feel free to add other fun ideas to your bin.
Scooping and Pouring Sensory Bin
Practice fine motor skills and patterns with this bin. It’s so simple but great for kids! All you need is some coloured rice (or another filler) and some containers to scoop and pour from.
Construction Sensory Bin
Have littles who just LOVE dump trucks and other construction machines? They will LOVE playing in this bin utilizing chocolate moon sand and construction toys. Pairs great with their favourite story, too!
Cupcake Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is SO FUN!! It uses cloud dough and various other supplies. Kids can pretend to blow out the candles, bake the cupcake, decorate, and so much more.
Fish Sensory Bin
This activity is so fun but so useful! Use dyed epsom salts as the filler and add various fish toys, or use other ones you have lying around! Kids can use this for writing practice or just to explore!
Water Bead & Shaving Cream Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is GREAT for exploring texture. Kids will enjoy getting messy in the shaving cream and feeling the water beads mixed in.
Night Sky Sensory Bin
Explore the night sky in a fun and easy way - sensory bins! This bin includes coloured rice, star pasta, and a few other tools. Very reminiscent of Van Gogh's Starry Night this one!
Pin it:
What is sensory play?
Sensory play describes any activity that involves any of a child's five senses of touch, smell, taste, sight and hearing. Sensory activities facilitate exploration and naturally encourage children to explore scientific processes while they play, create and investigate.
What are sensory bins?
A sensory bin is simply a container filled with a substance such as rice, sand, water beads, beans, seed or water. The container should be large enough to let the child explore without removing the filler substance.
To this other items are added to create a theme, such as spring with flowers and butterflies, or perhaps construction vehicles. The filler may also be themed, for example coloured rice or sand for a rainbow sensory bin.
Why are sensory bins good for children?
Sensory plan is engaging and fun, it may also help to focus and calm a child. The benefits of sensory bins include sensory exploration using a variety of senses: touch, sight, sounds, taste, and smell.
Children love to play and explore in a sensory bin, and it will facilitate learning, particularly STEM skills. Sensory bins are also a great opportunity for children to learn to play co-operatively.
See: How to Make Fun Sensory Bins for Young Learners
The BEST Sensory Bins for Kids
I’ve rounded up some of our FAVOURITE sensory bins into one list for you. You’ll find everything here including a frog pond, a pouring station, and a shaving cream bin. But that doesn’t even begin to cover all the fun ideas I’ve listed here. You are sure to find lots of fun ideas to try.
Whether you use bins to keep kids busy or you want to incorporate some learning in there, you’ll find plenty to suit your needs. Kids will get to practice their fine motor skills, explore their senses, and so much more, including some sneaky learning!
Here's our list of fun sensory activities and super amazing sensory bins little kids will love.
Letters & Bubbles Sensory Play
Using foam letters and bubbles, kids can practice letters! Work on letter recognition or even spelling. They will have so much fun playing in the bubbles.
Frog Pond Sensory Play Activity
Little kids who love frogs will really enjoy this one! It uses water beads, multiple bins, and a whole lot of fun toys! Perfect if you are exploring a frog life cycle study.
Ice Cream Sensory Bin
Have some fun pretending you’re scooping ice cream! This activity uses cotton balls, sequins, and a few other accessories.
Ocean Sensory Bin
What a fun way to learn about the ocean! This bin includes using water, food colouring, sand, and other fun beach supplies!
Butterfly Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is SO FUN when exploring butterflies! This bin includes coloured rice, tweezers, toy butterflies, and other fun supplies!
Bug Sensory Bin
So simple, yet fun! This bin is great for exploring bugs as it includes black beans and toy bugs!
Safari Sensory Bin
If you’ve ever wanted to check out a safari, this is a fun sensory bin idea! It includes coloured rice and lots of fun toys!
Planting Seeds Sensory Bin
Learn about seeds and counting with this bin! Kids will have fun planting, pouring, watering, counting, and much more. It uses black beans, flower pots, numbers, and a few other accessories.
Space Sensory Bin
This is such a fun bin for budding astronauts! This bin includes chickpeas, stars, and other space toys. Kids will have so much fun pretending they’re blasting through space.
Winter Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is such a fun idea for the winter months! Pretend you’re shoveling snow with cotton balls and a few other fun toys.
Car Sensory Bin
How fun is this?! Kids who love cars will have a lot of fun with this idea. All you need are black beans, straws, pom poms, toilet paper rolls, and some toy cars!
Dinosaur Sensory Bin
Dinosaur fans everywhere will LOVE this one! It even includes an edible erupting volcano. Follow the recipe for the erupting volcano and then all you need is some dinosaurs!
Creepy Sensory Bin
This creepy cool sensory bin is so much fun for older kids! The coloured pasta and spooky eyeballs make a great sensory bin idea. It’s fun all year round, and great for Scooby Doo fans!
Rainbow Chickpeas Sensory Bin
This is such a fun way to explore color! All you need is paint and chickpeas, but feel free to add other fun ideas to your bin.
Scooping and Pouring Sensory Bin
Practice fine motor skills and patterns with this bin. It’s so simple but great for kids! All you need is some coloured rice (or another filler) and some containers to scoop and pour from.
Construction Sensory Bin
Have littles who just LOVE dump trucks and other construction machines? They will LOVE playing in this bin utilizing chocolate moon sand and construction toys. Pairs great with their favourite story, too!
Cupcake Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is SO FUN!! It uses cloud dough and various other supplies. Kids can pretend to blow out the candles, bake the cupcake, decorate, and so much more.
Fish Sensory Bin
This activity is so fun but so useful! Use dyed epsom salts as the filler and add various fish toys, or use other ones you have lying around! Kids can use this for writing practice or just to explore!
Water Bead & Shaving Cream Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is GREAT for exploring texture. Kids will enjoy getting messy in the shaving cream and feeling the water beads mixed in.
Night Sky Sensory Bin
Explore the night sky in a fun and easy way - sensory bins! This bin includes coloured rice, star pasta, and a few other tools. Very reminiscent of Van Gogh's Starry Night this one!
Pin it:
This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on one of these links and make a purchase, I may receive a commission for referring you. This in no way affects the price you pay. I only suggest resources and items I believe in and highly recommend. Find out more on our Disclosure page.