sensory

Santa Claus Sensory Bin

December 23, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

With Santa on many children’s minds right now it’s the perfect time to set out a simple Santa Claus sensory bin.

This fun sensory activity is inspired by two Santa ornaments I was gifted this Christmas season. After receiving the ornaments, I realized I had enough supplies to make a no-fuss Santa bin. The bin is a great example of how just a few themed items can provide an interesting sensory invitation.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

_______

Here are the supplies I gathered for the festive bin:

Santa train engine cookie tin
Santa ornament
knitted Scandinavian multicultural dolls
fillable Santa ball ornament
jingle bell garland
peppermint candy erasers
Santa and Santa hat erasers
wooden ladle

_______

The Santa Claus Sensory Bin

This easy Santa sensory bin is filled with many economical dollar store supplies. It's a sure-to-please bin that can be set up in minutes.

_______

This jovial sensory bin has a dyed chickpea base. The chickpeas are colored with various amounts of red acrylic craft paint. You can find out how to dye chickpeas in my blog post “Chinese New Year Sensory Play.”

Note: As an alternative to using chickpeas for the base, white rice works well too.

The chickpeas are spread out in a white bus/utility tub. This size bin works well for one to three children to use.

The Santa train engine cookie tin was a happy find last year. I previously featured it in a blog post titled “Plaid-Themed Christmas Rice Bin.”

The Santa ornament fits perfectly in the train engine. I checked to make sure it has no rough edges before offering it in the bin. A small plush Santa is a good fit too.

A fillable Santa Claus ornament and other dollar store supplies make for an inviting chickpea-based sensory bin.

_______

The fillable Santa ball comes apart, and each half holds lots of chickpeas and loose parts.

The Scandinavian knitted dolls are cut from a Christmas garland. They make fun helpers for Santa!

Dollar stores carry metallic jingle bell garlands. Cut into strips, the garland becomes musical loose parts for the bin.

Peppermint and Santa-themed erasers add interest. They are great for counting and sorting practice.

A wooden ladle is useful for filling the Santa train and ball ornament with chickpeas, erasers, and garland. When using one, early learners get practice with eye-hand coordination.

_______

Making Your Own Santa Claus Sensory Bin

Would you like to make a Santa Claus-themed sensory bin? You probably have a few interesting supplies already on hand to include. Then add a few dollar store finds. It’s that simple!

_______

Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Santa’s Beard Scissor Activity

_______

More Christmas Activities

Christmas Peppermint Sensory Bin

Christmas Village Tuff Tray

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

_______

Santa Claus Sensory Bin

Chocolate Mint Playdough

Plaid-themed Christmas Rice Bin

Lemon-scented Christmas Playdough

Easy S’mores Bars

Make this easy, three-ingredient s'mores bars recipe that takes a classic campfire treat indoors. Serve surrounded by festive decor at Christmas time.

_______

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Christmas Sensory Play

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

Llama Christmas Sensory Bin

Llama themed sensory bin inspired by the picture book 'Llama, Llama Holiday Drama' by Anna Dewdney.

[Read more…]

Candy Cane Tree Experiment

December 20, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

This candy cane tree experiment is easy to set up and is sure to be a conversation piece. It works well as a Christmas science activity, and also fits a forest theme.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Collect

_______

For this simple science experiment, gather the following four supplies:

package of mini candy canes
one round striped candy
large flat white or cream-colored plate
flask of warm water

_______

The Candy Cane Tree Experiment

Design a tree on a plate with mini candy canes. Pour water into the plate and watch what happens. Your audience will be wowed!

_______

To perform this showy science experiment, start by arranging mini candy canes on a plate in a Christmas/coniferous tree design. The colorful and fruity candy canes above were a great find at a Dollar Store.

Next, set a round candy on top of the tree to be the tree topper.

Then fill a flask with warm water.

Carefully set the plate with the tree design on a table.

Now the experiment is ready to be performed. Invite participants to gather around the candy tree. Slowly pour water from the flask into the plate and invite everyone to watch what happens. It’s that simple!

Participants will be wowed at how the colors in the candy canes quickly spread through the water, making beautiful designs.

Watch the colors explode from the candy cane tree in this super simple science experiment everyone will love.

_______

Color changes will be instant. Over time the colors and their intensity will change.

Watch the colors move and change in this super simple science experiment everyone will love. The activity is a must-try.

_______

Note: This tree-shaped experiment can be done with standard-sized candy canes in a large ridged serving tray.

_______

The Science Behind The Candy Cane Tree Experiment

The candy canes are made of sugar. The water breaks the sugar molecules apart. Then the food colors move through the water from areas of higher sugar concentration (near the candy) to areas with less sugar (the center and rim of the tray.) When the sugar concentration is the same in all areas, the colors stop moving.

Water temperature is a variant in this experiment. Sugar dissolves more quickly in warm water, and food coloring moves at a faster pace.

Candy Cane Color Experiment Variations

Watch the stunning color changes in this super simple mini candy cane science experiment. Try it today!

_______

You can forgo making a tree shape with the candy canes, and spread a few around a plate instead. The color movement is just as interesting in this more basic version.

Watch beautiful colors emerge in this super simple science experiment with a serious WOW factor. Just thee supplies are needed to perform the experiment.

_______

And if you have been following my blog for a while, you may have discovered that I have done a few other candy/candy cane color experiments. Here are more variations:

Candy Cane Science Experiment

Blue Candy Cane Science Experiment

Shamrock Dissolving Candy Experiment

_______

This mini candy cane color experiment is a must-try. Just three supplies are needed for the simple science activity everyone will love.

_______

[Read more…]

Gingerbread Sensory Bin

December 19, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

This gingerbread sensory bin is quick and easy to set up. Most of the supplies in the bin are dollar store finds, so the activity is low-cost. So why not set it up for your little learners this holiday season?

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning activities.

_______

Supplies To Collect

A super fun gingerbread sensory bin with a chickpea base. An economical bin with dollar store gingerbread accessories.

_______

The gingerbread-themed supplies gathered for the bin are:

cookie cutters
cookie tin
ice cube tray
gingerbread people ornaments and game pieces
gingerbread house and candy cane ornaments

Also in the bin are:

bell garland strips
peppermint erasers

_______

The Gingerbread Sensory Bin

An easy-to-put-together gingerbread sensory bin with a chickpea base. An economical bin with dollar store gingerbread accessories.

_______

This gingerbread-themed sensory bin has a dyed chickpea base. You can find out how to dye chickpeas in my blog post titled “Chinese New Year Sensory Play.”

Note: You can skip coloring the chickpeas and use undyed ones instead. They are the same color as gingerbread cookies!

The chickpeas are spread out in a white bus/utility tub. This size bin works well for one to three children to use at a time.

The cookie tin, ice cube tray, ornaments, garland, and erasers are from dollar stores. You would be able to find cookie cutters there too.

This sensory bin is a great follow-up activity to reading gingerbread character stories and doing songs and fingerplays about gingerbread people.

_______

Other Supplies For The Gingerbread Bin

There are endless supplies that work in this bin. Other supplies that could be added are:

large gingerbread cookie cutters
gingerbread people erasers
wiggly eyes
pompoms
buttons
rickrack strips
cookie jar

Whatever the supplies, this cheery gingerbread sensory bin is bound to be a huge hit with your little learners!

_______

Related:

Gingerbread Playdough

Scissor Skill Gingerbread Man Craft

_______

[Read more…]

Gingerbread Playdough

December 12, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

Christmas playdough recipes are all about the smells, and this gingerbread playdough is no exception. The fragrant recipe is easy to make and doesn’t require cooking or using boiling water. This makes it perfect for early learners to help make, and they can participate from start to finish.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

The Playdough Ingredients

This scented gingerbread playdough requires no cooking or boiling water. Invite early learners to help make it from start to finish and can experience all the aromatic smells.

_______

Gather the following for this homemade gingerbread-scented dough:

1 cup flour
½ cup salt
1 ½ teaspoon ground ginger
1 ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
½ cup water

_______

How To Make Gingerbread Playdough

This homemade scented gingerbread playdough and the festive loose parts are ready to be explored by little learners.

_______

Measure all of the above ingredients in a bowl. Invite early learners to help.

Mix the spicy mixture into a dough, and knead it thoroughly. The kneading helps strengthen little helpers’ hand and finger muscles.

Four spices in addition to salt are included in the dough. Allowing your little helpers to smell each one is a rich sensory opportunity.

The spices add color to this all-natural playdough, so no additional color is needed.

Another plus for this homemade playdough is that it can be used in a play invitation as soon as it has been made. It doesn’t need cool down time like a cooked playdough or recipe that uses boiling water would.

This recipe can easily be doubled or tripled to be enough for a group of children.

_______

Gingerbread Playdough Invitation

After helping make the playdough, little learners will love using it to mold and decorate gingerbread houses and people. Offer loose parts in a party tray for a spicy playdough invitation.

_______

The loose parts in the tray above are:

gingerbread house and people cookie cutters
gingerbread ornaments
cut sparkly pipe cleaners and pompoms
cut rick rack and straws
buttons
candy cane and gingerbread erasers
bows
bead garland
wiggly eyes

_______

In this next tray, gingerbread house shapes, felt gingerbread people, beads, and rubber peppermint lollipops are included in the mix.

_______

Gingerbread Playdough Invitation Benefits

This heavenly-scented playdough invitation offers many benefits:

Exercising creativity by decorating pretend cookies.
Language development by using playdough cutouts to retell gingerbread stories or develop new ones.
Gaining hand and finger strength by rolling, pressing, and kneading dough, and decorating it with loose parts.
Role-playing working in a pretend bakery and baking cookies in a play oven.

Tip: A small box with a rack placed inside makes an easy DIY oven for pretend play.

A cardboard box with a rack set inside makes a terrific play oven to bake gingerbread playdough cookies and muffins.

_______

How To Store Gingerbread Playdough

This amazing gingerbread-scented dough is not sticky, rolls out just fine, and works well with cookie cutters.

To store it, wrap it in saran wrap and place it in an airtight container. Doing this will keep it nice and moist. To my delight, the playdough is even easier to work with when you pull it out for additional play.

_______

More Playdough Recipes and Activities:

Apple Playdough Tray

Edible Playdough Turkey

_______

Scented Playdough Activities

Pumpkin Playdough Activities

Gingerbread Playdough

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Chocolate Mint Playdough

Christmas Playdough

Offer this lemon cypress scented playdough invitation with cut silk poinsettia leaves and bracts.

_______

Santa Claus Playdough Tray

Valentine’s Day Playdough Activities

St. Patrick’s Day Playdough Tray

Easter Playdough Tray

_______

[Read more…]

Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

October 30, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

_______

For the longest while I stayed away from featuring skeletons in activities for little learners. But you wouldn’t know it by all the posts about them on this blog. That’s because in recent years I’ve seen so many glam skeletons in home décor, inspiring a host of ways to showcase them in fun, non-threatening ways. This glam skeleton playdough tray is my latest bone-filled play invitation. It is an extension of a post I did last week about an elegant skeleton sensory bin.

_______

Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

_______

Supplies To Gather

Silver and gold loose parts complement the neutral palette in this glam skeleton-themed playdough invitation.

_______

The same loose parts used in the skeleton-themed sensory bin work wonderfully in a playdough party tray:

skeletons
skulls
bones
spider figurines
pearl beads
gem leaves
bead jewelry strands
crown hair combs
mini pumpkins
bells

_______

The Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

This playdough tray can be offered with a basic playdough recipe or one that is colored. Black and white playdough contrast each other in the tray below. There are links to the dough recipes further on in the post.

A skeleton sits atop black and white playdough in this inviting party tray. Other loose parts include pumpkins, spiders, skulls, and bones.

_______

This next tray features white playdough made with my go-to basic playdough recipe.

_______

Although there’s a whole lotta glam in the sensory tray, an ornate mirror adds just a little more.

A mirror adds elegance to this glam skeleton playdough invitation early learners will be excited to explore.

_______

The loose parts spark the imagination and children can use them to make unique designs. They make interesting prints in the dough.

_______

Playdough Recipes

Find the recipes for the playdough here:

Black Playdough Recipe (from the blog “Left Brain Craft Brain.”)

This black playdough was featured in my “White Lilacs And Black Playdough” blog post a few months ago. Believe it or not, the playdough is still pliable.

Basic Playdough Recipe

The basic playdough recipe can be made in a big batch to use with a group of children.

_______