rice bin

Flower Planting Sensory Play

May 10, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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One of the best things to do in spring is to visit greenhouses, pick flowers, and then plant them in gardens and pots. Little learners can experience this indoors in flower planting sensory play activities.

A few easy-to-gather supplies are all that is needed for children to engage in spring planting sensory activities. Featured are four sensory tray ideas.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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Seed Tray Flower Planting

Set up this no-fuss flower planting sensory activity today!

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Seed trays are the perfect size for planting miniature flower figurines.

Supplies To Collect:

small seed starter trays
flower figurines
dried black beans

Set out the seed starter trays, along with a bowl of black beans and flower figurines. Invite little learners to plant flowers in black bean “dirt.”

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Flower Planting Sensory Tray

Miniature flower and butterfly figurines take center stage in this easy-to-set-up flower planting sensory activity.

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The low edge in serving trays makes them ideal for little learners to reach in and explore sensory materials.

Supplies To Collect

small seed starter trays
dessert cups
flower and butterfly figurines
spoons
serving tray

Spread a layer of black beans in an edged serving tray. Set in dessert cups and spoons.

Then place containers with flowers and butterflies next to the tray.

Invite little learners to scoop and pour black beans, plant flowers, and add butterflies to their designs.

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Book-Inspired Construction Zone Tray

A bean-based sensory bin inspired by the storybook "The Digger And the Flower" by Joseph Kuefler.

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This book-inspired sensory tray features an unlikely pairing: a construction vehicle and flower figurines.

Supplies To Collect

picture Book: The Digger And The Flower
black beans
rocks
flower figurines
serving tray

Read the endearing picture book called “The Digger And The Flower” by Joseph Kuefler. It’s a keeper!

Then layer a base of black beans in a serving tray.

Next set in a construction vehicle digger, rocks, and a few flowers.

Afterward, invite students to take turns exploring the tray.

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Rice Bin Flower Planting

Miniature flower figurines take center stage in this easy-to-set-up flower planting rice bin.

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Rice makes an economical sensory base in this bin.

Supplies To Collect:

brown rice
seed starter trays
flower and butterfly figurines
wooden scoops
plastic bin

Spread brown rice in a bin. I feature a food service bin that accommodates two to three children. Add in seed starter trays, flower figurines, and wooden scoops for little learners to use in the bin.

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Note: Eaten raw, black beans and rice are toxic. Supervision is important when offering these activities. If your little charges are prone to sticking things in their mouths, consider using an edible sensory base.

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These four flower planting sensory play invitations take only minutes to set up. With slight variations in supplies, the flower and butterfly figurines can be explored in new ways.

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Related: Carrot Paint Prints

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Ocean Sensory Activities

March 31, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

Three fun ocean-themed sensory activities to captivate your little learner. An aquatic rice bin, water tub, and playdough tray are featured.

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Ocean sensory activities are among the most attractive and calming play invitations one could offer. The serene blue water, neutral sand, crisp shells, and fish that add pops of color are eye-appealing and offer many tactile opportunities.

The inspiration for the sensory activities featured in this post is aquatic Easter eggs, repurposed for three learning through play invitations. I was excited to spot the eggs at a local dollar store.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Ocean Sensory Activity Supplies

The following supplies will work well in all three sensory activities.

rocks in various sizes
shells
marbles
set of miniature ocean creature figures
set of aquatic plastic Easter eggs

If it is difficult to find ocean creatures or aquatic plastic eggs, using just one of these ocean sets is fine too. An economical alternative to offer is creatures from toy fishing or dive toy sets. Paper fish could also be substituted.

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Ocean Rice Bin

Set up this easy and fun rice-based ocean sensory bin. Aquatic Easter eggs are the highlight of the play invitation.

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The base for this ocean bin is white glutinous rice. Its light neutral color is a good contrast for loose parts, so it’s often my go-to choice for a rice bin. The bin for this activity is a round serving tray.

Spread the rice in the bin, and set in the rocks, shells, marbles, ocean creatures, and aquatic eggs.

Little learners will enjoy scooping up and pouring the rice, and putting marble “eggs” and mini ocean creatures inside the eggs. They may discover that the fillable eggs become shakers that make soft sounds when rice is added, or loud sounds when marbles or small rocks are inserted.

Take the opportunity to discuss the names of the ocean creatures, and model them in speech.

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Ocean Water Tub

Set up this easy and fun water-based ocean sensory tub. Aquatic Easter eggs are the highlight of the play invitation.

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The bin for this activity is a kitchen tub, commonly used in the foodservice industry. I keep a stack of them around for organizing my current theme supplies, and for sensory activities. When offering a sensory invitation for two or three children to explore at the same time, a bin this size works well.

Water with blue food coloring added is the base. But little learners would be more than happy to explore the supplies in clear water.

Add the same supplies to the tub as used in the rice bin. I added marbles here, but also could have included them in the rice.

This water-based activity offers the same learning through play opportunities as the rice bin does, and little learners can experiment with floating and sinking objects.

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Ocean Playdough Tray

Your little learners will love this inviting ocean-themed playdough tray. Good playdough recipes are included in the post.

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For another sensory opportunity, the ocean-themed loose parts can be offered in a playdough tray. Set them out in a large party tray, along with turquoise, marbled or plain dough. Add a few ocean-themed cookie cutters and the playdough invitation is ready to go.

Your little learners will love this inviting ocean-themed playdough tray. Aquatic Easter eggs are the highlight of the tray.

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Playdough Recipes

The marbled playdough was repurposed from a winter playdough recipe,

A scented jello playdough recipe makes lovely turquoise dough.

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The aquatic Easter eggs are the latest addition to my plastic egg collection. If you spot them, you may want to purchase two sets – one for ocean sensory activities, and another to fill with Easter treats.

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St. Patrick’s Jewelry Bin

March 8, 2022 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This St. Patrick’s jewelry bin lets children explore the bling in an additional way to wearing it on the official celebration date, March 17th each year. It makes a great discussion starter about the world-renowned St. Pat’s celebration and the significance of shamrocks and the color green. And it introduces the tricky leprechaun, most entertaining for children!

St. Patrick’s Day is a national holiday in Ireland and started out as a religious one. It evolved into a celebration of Irish culture, and people around the world take part in it. One of the biggest ways people do this is by wearing green on March 17, or at festive events that take place near this date. They may wear t-shirts, socks, hats, glasses, and/or jewelry with a green theme. Irish sayings and shamrocks are a huge part of the designs. Touches of orange, gold, and white also make an appearance.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

For this sensory bin, gather the following economical and easy to find supplies:

white rice
gold coins and bells
green and rust necklaces
yellow and green gem rings
shamrock-themed bracelets
green bowl, spoon, and tongs
leprechaun legs
sensory tub

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The St. Patrick’s Jewelry Bin

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Pick a sensory tub for the activity. A serving tray will work for one or two children. I feature a food and tableware tub here, large enough for a few children to participate together.

Generously spread white rice on the bottom of the tub. The neutral base allows the accessories to “shine.”

Next, layer in the loose parts.

Lastly, press in the leprechaun legs.

Note: The leprechaun legs are taken from a St. Patrick’s Day wall plaque. A figurine would make a great substitution.

Early learners can explore the colors and textures of the jewelry, and wear it if they like. They will have fun with the gold coins and bells in the bin. And they may decide to find a way to trap the somewhat exposed leprechaun!

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To learn more about St. Patrick’s Day, view the blog post “St. Patrick’s Day” by National Geographic Kids.

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Plaid-Themed Christmas Rice Bin

December 24, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Sensory bins are one of my favorite things to put together. There is a multitude of themes for bins to choose from, and so many interesting loose parts to include. Sometimes one or two items provide inspiration for a whole bin. And that’s the case with this rustic plaid-themed Christmas rice bin.

A few years ago, I spotted plaid gift boxes at Michael’s and snapped a couple up. Right then and there I got the idea for this cozy bin. It took a while to collect enough intriguing items for little learners to explore. This year the concept finally came together.

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Plaid-Themed Christmas Rice Bin

The container to hold all the sensory supplies is an inexpensive spiral saucer sled!

Glutinous rice is the base. I like it a lot because its super white color provides good contrast for the contents of the bin. One five kg bag fills the saucer-shaped container nicely.

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Plaid-themed Christmas items scattered over the rice are:

gift boxes
plush ornament balls
sheep fridge magnets
nutcracker soldier marionette ornament
cuddly bear
shovel ornament
small photo frame accented with jingle bells
Santa train engine cookie tin on wheels

A delightful plaid-themed holiday rice bin filled with cozy items for little learners to explore year after year.

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The photo frame could be personalized with a picture of a little learner.

The bells on the frame add a musical element to the play experience, always a plus.

The nutcracker soldier has a special feature: his legs do the splits when the attached string is pulled.

Undoubtedly the Santa train engine cookie tin is the highlight of the holiday-themed bin.

Cozy plaid-themed Christmas gift boxes and ornaments to fill a holiday rice bin.

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Tip: If you try a version of this activity, make sure there are no sharp edges on the items you choose for your bin.

Have you put together a unique sensory bin? I’d love to hear about it.

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More Christmas Activities

Llama Llama Holiday Drama Sensory Bin

Christmas Village Tuff Tray

Orange-scented Playdough Invitation

Santa Claus Sensory Bin

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Candy Cane Science Experiment

Plaid-themed Christmas Rice Bin

Lemon-scented Christmas Playdough

Lemon cypress scented playdough with cut silk poinsettia leaves and bracts.

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Easy S’mores Bars

Christmas Tree Decorating Center

Christmas Sensory Play

Handprint Angel Christmas Keepsake

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Leprechaun Sensory Play

March 14, 2021 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Leprechauns, shamrocks, pots of gold, and the color green are all associated with St. Patrick’s Day. And they make for super fun sensory play…especially the leprechauns! Here are two inexpensive, easy-to-put-together leprechaun sensory play activities.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more ideas.

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Leprechaun Facts

Leprechauns are tiny, mischievous, gold-loving characters in Irish folklore.
Shoemaking is how leprechauns spend most of their time.
These entertaining, energetic, miniature men love to participate in dance parties and expertly play the tin whistle, fiddle, Bodhran, and Irish harp.
Underground caves or hollow tree trunks in rural Ireland are where these solitary characters are said to live.
Leprechauns love to collect gold and store it in pots in the remote countryside (or at the end of the rainbow.)
The speedy tricksters can vanish quickly, so are difficult to capture.
But if a leprechaun is caught, he must grant three wishes.
Leprechauns are known all over the world.

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Leprechaun Sensory Play

Here are two easy to set up leprechaun sensory trays:

Leprechaun Rice Tray

Gold coins, shamrocks, a money pot, and an oh-so tricky leprechaun are the highlights of this rice-based tray.

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Glutinous rice is the base for this tray. I love it because it is super white, and showcases the loose parts. Included are:

leprechaun figurine
money pot
tiny gold coins
white, green, and gold beads (because leprechauns like all kinds of treasure)
glittery, green hats (to collect any coins or gems that don’t fit into the pot)
shamrocks
St. Patrick’s Day greeting

The leprechaun is a repurposed plant poke topper. The other loose parts are snipped from inexpensive St. Patrick’s Day necklaces.

Shamrocks, gold coins, a money pot, and an oh-so tricky leprechaun are the highlights of this rice-based tray.

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Shamrock Confetti Tray

Instead of rice, generously sprinkled shamrock confetti with metallic gold pots added in is the base. The tray also includes a leprechaun, money pot, gold coins, beads, hats, and shamrocks.

The leprechaun has plenty of gold to collect in this shamrock confetti-based St. Patrick's Day sensory tray.

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For more facts about leprechauns, view these blogposts:

The Legend Of The Leprechaun (CBC Kids)

Legend Of The Irish Leprechauns (Your Irish Culture)

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There is plenty of gold for the leprechaun to collect in this shamrock confetti-based St. Patrick's Day sensory tray.

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Follow up a leprechaun sensory play session with a scavenger hunt for pots of gold, a leprechaun race, or a game of Hide And Seek.

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