This New Year’s sensory tray shines bright with gold and silver accents. Two watch heads are the highlight of the bin, and children treasure finding them.

The collection of pieces below is all gold with a few silver parts added in. The musical instruments are black, only because the gold finish wore off in previous play! The alphabet letters are cut from “Happy New Year” necklaces.

The base ingredient is parboiled rice, as its yellow hue complements the gold tone of the bin. The ingredients are showcased in a silver metal square-shaped tray.

Items In The New Year’s Sensory Tray:
parboiled rice
antique watch heads set to 12:00
tube confetti
confetti party hats and stars
sequins
foil pieces
tiny balls
beads
pom poms
bead garland strips
tinsel
bells
musical instruments
alphabet letters that spell the wish “Happy New Year”
star dessert cups
spoons
Safari Toob musical instruments would be a stand out in this tray.
Activities To Extend Exploration
Your early learner will enjoy sifting through the sensory tray and filling the star dessert cups with treasures. A few prompts will extend learning opportunities.

Search And Find Challenges
Challenge your child to…
find letter H, Y, etc.
collect five pom poms
shake bells in cupped hands to make music
search for watch heads
find three silver stars and two gold stars
add musical instruments to a star dessert cup
Spelling “Happy New Year”
Cut necklaces into “HAPPY NEW YEAR” sections. Ask your little one to find the letters that make up the new year’s greeting.

The gold and silver pieces are not precious metals, but this New Year’s sensory tray has a rich feel that is sure to be inviting.
To create a similar tray, keep an eye out for baubles to recycle from Christmas events or gift openings. As an alternative, you can put together a bright, colorful bin as seen at rubberbootsandelfshoes.
You may also like:
Happy New Year Art And Math Activities


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© Annette Kaminsky
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