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Santa Claus Sensory Bin

December 23, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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

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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.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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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

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    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.

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    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.

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    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.

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    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!

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    More Santa-Themed Activities:

    • Santa Claus Playdough Tray
    • Santa’s Beard Scissor Activity

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    You may also like:

    New Year’s Eve Sensory Tray

    New Year's Eve sensory tray dinner invitation with metallic loose parts little learners will love to have a pretend party with.

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    Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

    Winter wreath craft made from a paper plate and recycled cards. A low-cost art project suitable for all ages to do.

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    Don’t forget to share this post on Pinterest or your favorite social media channel. Sharing is caring!

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

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    © Annette Kaminsky December 23, 2022

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    Follow me on social media for more ideas:
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    Filed Under: Christmas, preschool, pretend play, sensory Tagged With: Christmas, Santa Claus, sensory bin, sensory play

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    Hi, I'm Annette Kaminsky. I am a preschool teacher who loves to share easy and fun early learning activities. Thanks for visiting my blog. Feel free to stay awhile!

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