sensory bin - outer space theme

here is an idea for creating an intergalactic sensory bin.

 fill a bin with black beans.

 add some swirly metallic marbles (dollar store).

 add some large black pompoms (dollar store).

 add some small silver tinsel-y pompoms (dollar store).

 add a few silver dish scrubbers (target's dollar spot).

 add some glow in the dark stars (i have no idea).

 add plastic planets (these from amazon).

 that looks a bit like outer space, right?

 now add some astronauts and space vehicles (these from amazon).

and you're done. 

confession: my boys are slowly but surely outgrowing these sensory bins. i have been attempting to create themes that might still interest them. we have quite a few space-themed toys around the house so i designed this bin more as a jump-start for their imagination, to accompany the toys they like playing with. both the boys have played with this bin for short periods of time and enjoyed it. i have to chuckle though because graham's idea of playing has been to remove everything except the beans and SIT inside the bin.

perhaps he's launched himself to the moon? and the moon is inside the bin?

your guess is as good as mine.

i cannot tell you how many times i've said, "graham, why are there black beans all. over. the. rug.?" 

so it goes with sensory bins.

heck, so it goes with graham!

sensory bin - construction theme

i was sorting through my sensory bin stockpile this morning in an effort to set aside and pass on some items my boys have outgrown. harrison was watching cartoons as i was organizing pompoms, easter eggs, plastic hearts and glass beads. i was all set to give away my collection of construction stuff but when harrison came over and began playing i knew i'd better hang onto it a while longer.  

anything that draws my kiddos attention away from the television is worth keeping!

so here's a simple construction themed sensory bin...

get a bin

 fill it with black beans

or you could use sand or rice or pea gravel or actual dirt or whatever strikes your fancy

 add a little bucket full of rocks

 why not add a little bowl of marbles

add a bucket of tongue depressors, another little bowl, two plastic wheelbarrows and some road signs

 i should probably find some type of scooper to throw in here too

 lastly place in a few construction vehicles

these are a mishmash of random trucks we've collected over the years

you could use matchbox cars or anything else from around the house that might fit the theme

now all you have to do is set out the men at work sign and get playing!

sensory bin - halloween monster themed

take a bin

add some large black pom poms

 add some small gold fuzzy pom poms

the black and gold is for my brother and sister-in-law who are the biggest iowa hawkeye fans ever. 

go hawks!

 

 add some purple and green rubber porcupine balls

sorry i ruined the hawkeye concept.

 

 add some large silver dish scrubbers

 add some smaller rainbow dish scrubbers

add some foam circles

pop em into a bucket

add some googly eyes

pop em into a bucket too

now we have a bin full of circles and spheres of all different textures, sizes and colors. 

let's get crazy and add some pipe cleaners and straws

toss em into the bin

lastly add in some silly monster poppers

don't they look lonely in that big old bin?

let's create some friends for them!

oh, they're so much happier now!

it's a build-a-monster sensory bin.

build-a-monster play ideas:

use senses of sight, touch and hearing to see, feel and listen to differences in each object within the bin. discuss those differences.

use proprioceptive sense to push down the monster poppers.

make predictions as to how far they'll pop into the air.

use proprioceptive sense to try jumping as high/far as the popper did.

after designing your monsters discuss one thing you like about your own monster and one thing you like about another person's monster.

make up a story about your monsters.

use straws to blow over the poppers or to blow apart the monsters you build.

i hope you have lots of fun imagining more ways to play with your new monster friends!

sensory bin - spring/garden theme

i put together a spring time, garden-esque is that a word? i don't think that's a word. sensory bin the other day. this just might be the easiest of all sensory bins. here's what you do:

1) empty a few bags of dry black beans into a bin.
2) add in whatever else you want...

...such as creepy crawly creatures. the boys have had loads of fun taking turns burying and digging up these frogs. we've also hidden other small objects/toys from around the house under the beans. we take turns searching for them and using only our sense of touch to figure out what object we just found.

 ...and some type of container.

...and some type of scoop.

...and why not some flowers? flowers are spring-esque and garden-esque, no?

and that's all there is to it.
black beans = dirt.
other stuff = items you might find in or around dirt.

now go use your imagination and see what you can come up with!


resources:
black beans
plastic frogs - dollar tree
brown lizard - gift from meme & papa
brown flower pots - target dollar spot, last year
green spade, rake & watering can - target dollar spot, last year
fake flowers - dollar tree

sensory bin - easter theme

so...have you ever written something - an email, a document, a blog post perhaps - and then accidentally deleted the entire thing? yes? oh good. then you'll understand why this post is short and sweet and to the point. i don't want to rewrite everything i just deleted. i can get cranky like that.

this is our easter themed sensory bin. at least it's bright and colorful. and happy and light. and cheery. and spring-y. i can feel my mood improving with every adjective.

porcupine balls for sorting or organizing...or for throwing at each other. because, with boys, it all comes back to throwing.

bendable bunny rabbits...that are "eating carrots for dinner" in the photo above and "playing catch" with the porcupine balls in the photo below.

harrison wanted to add our set of small plastic planets because "they are pastel colored" and match the other colors in the bin. i obliged him. after all, maybe the rabbits could play catch with the planets too. or maybe they could brush up on their astronomy. who know what those wascally wabbits do behing closed lids.

plastic easter eggs...for "easter egg hunts" around the room, which is graham's favorite part of this bin. or for filling with other items from the bin and having someone try to guess what's inside.

mini erasers...for making patterns, or stacking, or picking up with tweezers, or sorting, or counting, or hiding inside eggs, or for rabbit food...

all in all a VERY simple bin...basically just throw a bunch of easter stuff in a box and call it done. kinda like writing a few words in blog post and calling it done.

and trying really hard not to delete it this time.

resources:

porcupine balls - HERE is a link to the ones we have.
yellow cup -HERE is the link to the set this is a part of.
purple tweezers - HERE is a link to a similar set.
plastic easter eggs - you can get these anywhere this time of year.
mini erasers - purchased last year at target's dollar spot.
planets - HERE is the link to the ones we have.
bendable bunnies - memeandpapa put these in the boy's easter baskets last year ??