Chinese New Year Sensory Bins

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Here are three Chinese New Year sensory bins to help celebrate the upcoming Lunar New Year. The zodiac animal assigned to the new year is a dragon, and the imaginary winged beast is featured in all the bins.

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Dragon and Noodle Sensory Bin

This first Chinese New Year sensory bin has a noodle base. Noodles are a common ingredient in Asian dishes.

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The supplies in the bin are:

red envelope
gold play coins
red bowl and chopsticks
red and gold dragon figurines
stuffed fish
gold and red buttons
red tassels
red beads and bead garland

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Dyed Chickpea and Dragon Sensory Bin

This second Lunar New Year sensory bin has a dyed chickpea base.

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The chickpeas are dyed in various amounts of red acrylic paint. Some have been left uncolored. To learn how to dye chickpeas, view my blog post “Chinese New Year Sensory Play.”

Just a few supplies complement this simple sensory bin:

gold Asian play coins
round game pieces
gold stars cut from garland
red and gold bead garland cut into strips
large diamond-shaped acrylic gems
gold buttons
plush dragon
star-shaped bowl
training chopsticks

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Chinese New Year Wood Dragon Bin

This third sensory bin hones in on the fact that it is not just the year of the dragon, but more specifically, a wood dragon. The white glutinous rice-based bin is calming compared to the two previous bright and bold bins. Green and white supplies and woodland elements are prevalent in the sensory play invitation.

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The Chinese New Year Wood Dragon bin contents are:

orange tree sprig
green and gold ornament
artificial green leaves
small logs
tree branch slices
tiny tin
gold play coins
ornamental rock
training chopsticks
green dragon figurine

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Enjoy celebrating the Chinese New Year with one or more of these dragon-themed sensory bins.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Related: Lunar New Year Lantern Craft

Add a festive, cultural touch to your Lunar New Year celebration or Chinese New Year classroom theme in minutes with this beautiful Lunar New Year Lantern craft!