sensory tray

Tea Party Water Play

July 18, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Set up this oh-so-simple tea party water play sensory invitation in minutes. Children love to pour water from a tea pot into cups, or from one cup to another, so will be super excited to explore it. Easily add in or change supplies to further extend the play experience.

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Supplies To Collect

Just a few supplies will have your little learners eagerly engaging in a tea party sensory experience. Gather the following:

bus tub
liquid food coloring
water
miniature tea sets
flower-themed confetti
spoons
waterproof table cover

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The Tea Party Water Play Set Up

To set up this low prep sensory invitation indoors, cover a table with a waterproof table cover. If you plan to offer the activity outdoors on a warm weather day, you can skip this step.

Next, pick a sensory tub to use. My go-to tub size is a white bus tub. It comfortably allows two to three children to play in it at one time and is easy to transport to any location. It is also very sturdy.

Then add lukewarm water and squeeze in a few drops of liquid food coloring.

Sprinkle in flower-themed confetti to add a dose of sparkle.

Lastly, drop in a miniature tea set for each child participating, and include a few larger spoons.

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A sensory play invitation couldn’t be easier to offer.

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Variations of the Tea Party Water Play Experience

To add interest and extend the tea party sensory play experience, include flowers and buds. These peonies look beautiful and offer a tactile experience.

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Note: Peonies are safe to touch but should not be consumed. If the children in your care are prone to explore by putting things in their mouths, choose edible flowers such as roses (featured below) for this activity.

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Rose flowers and buds are an exquisite choice for the bin. All parts of a rose plant are safe to eat. Just make sure there are no thorns on the rose stems as they are very prickly!

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Changing up the color of the water from a neon pink to a neon turquoise adds interest too.

Additional water play ideas for the bin are selecting a larger tea set, and offering play food desserts.

And finally, instead of filling a tub with colored water, simply set a miniature tea set on a low-edged tray and add a small bottle filled with water. Little learners will delight in transferring water from the bottle to the tiny teapot and cups.

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Benefits of the Tea Party Water Play Invitation

Practicing the skill of pouring, developing eye-hand coordination, enhancing fine motor skills, labeling flowers and parts, color recognition, experiencing beauty, and having a pleasurable play experience are all benefits of this simple and economical tea party sensory set up.

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Tea Party Sensory Play

Teacup and Peony Sensory Tray

Lilac Flower Sensory Trays

Petunia Flower Sensory Tray

Flower Theme Activities

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[Read more…]

Reptile Active World Tray

May 14, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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A reptile active world tray is a great way to introduce animals such as snakes, lizards, and turtles to young children. Having a chance to explore these reptiles in a small world helps alleviate fears surrounding these scaly animals.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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The following supplies are in the reptile active world tray:

snake, lizard, frog, and insect figurines
fillable eggs
artificial palm branches and grass panels
wood logs and slices
recycled toilet paper and paper towel rolls
rocks

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The Reptile Active World Tray

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A large active world tray nicely holds a few artificial grass panels and the other sensory supplies. A bus tub or round saucer are good sensory tray bin alternatives.

Various-sized snake and lizard figurines add variety to the tray.

Frog and insect figurines serve as prey for the snakes and lizards to eat.

Toilet paper and paper towel rolls make perfect hollow logs for snakes to hide in.

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Fillable eggs are just the right size for tiny lizard hatchlings and snakelets to break out of.

Artificial palm branches provide ground cover.

And wood logs, wood slices, and rocks add natural elements to the reptile active world tray.

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Reptile Theme Activities

Reptile Egg Science

Sea Turtle Theme Activities

Turtle Pond Sensory Bin

Turtle Christmas Craft

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[Read more…]

Snowy Owl Sensory Bin

January 13, 2024 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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This snowy owl sensory bin is a fun way to teach about predators and prey and can be set up in minutes. There are plenty of mice in the hide-and-seek bin, but there’s nothing to be afraid of in this winter play invitation.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Snowy Owls and Mice

Snowy owls live in polar regions, but some make their way further south. The majestic birds have excellent vision and exceptional hearing ability and can detect mice and other rodents traveling through tunnels beneath snow in winter. Hunting by day or night, they can dive through the snow, grab a mouse with their talons, and then swallow it whole.

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Snowy Owl Sensory Bin Supplies

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Just a few supplies are in this cheeky snowy owl sensory bin:

cotton balls
paper towel rolls
toy mice
owl figurine
rocks
small logs

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The Snowy Owl Sensory Bin

A round saucer sled works well as a bin for this winter white sensory activity. It is big enough to hold a variety of supplies, but small enough to be easy to fill.

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A large snowy owl figurine is the main character in the bin. A stuffed animal owl would be an awesome alternative.

Cotton balls spread out in the bin represent snow.

Paper towel rolls cut to shorter lengths or left whole serve as tunnels. The paper rolls signify how mice dig tunnels in the snow and travel through them to find food on the ground to eat during the snowy months. The scurrying mice also use them to get to their underground burrows.

Mice come in a variety of colors, such as white, brown, or grey. In this sensory setup, steel grey rubber mice are the snowy owl prey.

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Many snowy owls live far north above the tree line and never see a tree during their lifetime. Some snowy owls venture further south, still choosing open areas to live in. Perched on a high vantage post such as a tree or fencepost, they scan the surrounding area for prey such as mice to eat. Thus a few rocks and logs are added to this second sensory bin.

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Snowy Owl Sensory Bin Learning Opportunities

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This snowy owl sensory bin play invitation is perfect for learning facts about snowy owls and mice, and learning about predators and prey. Discussing hard and soft, long and short, and heavy and light items facilitates language. Practice in counting mice and developing eye-hand coordination when taking mice in and out of their tunnels are other educational benefits.

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Related: If you like this post, check out my Fall Forest Sensory Bin activity. It’s filled with cute little mice too!

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More Polar Animal Activities

Winter-themed Treasure Blocks

Igloo Camping Pretend Play

Polar Bear Small World

Winter Sensory Trays

Winter Wreath Paper Plate Craft

Scissor Skill Snow Cutting Activities

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[Read more…]

Skeleton Sunflower Seed Bin

October 30, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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If you need an easy sensory bin idea for a skeleton theme, this skeleton sunflower seed bin is for you. Set it up in minutes, and you’ll have a super engaging sensory invitation your little learners will be happy to explore.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Supplies To Collect

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The following supplies are in the sunflower seed sensory bin:

sunflower seeds
skeleton figurines
skeleton arm scoops
toy bones
skull reusable ice cubes
toy eyeballs in different colors
skull treat holders
skull cups
clear non-breakable jars
silver bowls and serving spoons

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The Skeleton Sunflower Seed Bin

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Striped sunflower seeds are the base for this seedy skeleton bin. They are economical to buy and provide a unique sensory experience. In my active world tray, two large bags of seeds work nicely. For a smaller bin such as a bus tub or saucer sled, one large bag would be enough.

The sunflower seeds bring plenty of color, so there is no need to dye anything. This saves a lot of preparation time.

The toy skeletons, skulls, and bones are supplies easily scooped up at dollar and party stores, or the seasonal section of a big box store.

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It’s always nice to see the excited look of children when they discover a new sensory bin invitation, and their reaction to this bin did not disappoint. There was lots of imaginative and creative play.

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Skeleton Lentil Bin Sensory Play

To keep the interest in skeleton sensory play going, offer the same supplies in a lentil-based bin. The red lentils are another base ingredient that brings its own color to the sensory invitation.

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More Sunflower Seed Sensory Play

After children have had plenty of time to explore the skeleton-themed accessories, swap them out for a pumpkin or sunflower and dinosaur-themed bin using the same striped sunflower seeds as a base.

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More Skeleton Activities

Skeleton Preschool Theme

Glam Skeleton Sensory Bin

Skeleton and Eyeball Waterplay

Glam Skeleton Playdough Tray

Floral Decorated Skeleton

Skeleton Treasure Blocks

Spaghetti and Eyeball Sensory Bin

Q-tip Skeleton Craft

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[Read more…]

Pumpkin Sensory Activities

October 29, 2023 by Annette Kaminsky Leave a Comment

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Pumpkin carving is a fun annual activity, and children love to get it on it. After the large fruits are carved or sliced, there are a few effortless, super-engaging pumpkin sensory activities children can do before saying goodbye to the showy gourds.

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Pumpkin Cross-Section Exploration

If you happen to have a very lop-sided pumpkin that wasn’t chosen for carving, use a sharp knife to carefully cut it from top to bottom into two cross-sections for everyone to view. This provides your little charges a novel way to investigate the inside of a pumpkin, and it is much easier for them to scoop out and feel the fibrous strands and pumpkin seeds this way.

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When the fruity exploration is over, store the pumpkin parts and slimy pumpkin seed mixture in the fridge for more sensory play at another time.

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Follow me on Pinterest for more early learning ideas.

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Pumpkin Sensory Bin

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To set up a tantalizing pumpkin sensory bin activity, first place two pumpkin halves into a generous-sized container. A large green active world tray is up to the task and color coordinates with the pumpkin parts perfectly.

Next, set tablespoons, serving bowls, and food storage containers in the bin.

Then add non-breakable or disposable plates with a slimy pumpkin seed and fibrous strand mixture to the sensory play center.

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Afterward, make a goopy, cornstarch and hair conditioner mixture for the bin. Green apple playdough thinned with a bit of water works well for the slimy mixture, and you can use older playdough which has been stored in the fridge for it.

An alternative is to mix a cup or two of cornstarch with half the amount of water to get a thick but flowing consistency, and then squirt and blend in about half a bottle of apple-scented hair conditioner to make it slippery and aromatic. Add more cornstarch or water if needed. Squirt in a generous amount of green food coloring to give the mixture a deeper green hue.

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Finally, scoop the cornstarch and green apple conditioner mixture into the pumpkin halves and invite your little learners to explore the bin.

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Note: Apples and pumpkins are commonly used together in pies, as their scents and tastes are complementary. The two scents also work nicely together in sensory play.

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Washing up afterward is part of the fun, as your little charges will love seeing the water turn green.

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Green Apple Goop Pumpkin Play

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In this tactile autumn activity, green apple playdough, often called cloud dough, is turned into a goopy mixture with the addition of a little water. Just scoop the thinned dough into a serving bowl and set it in a sensory table next to a carved and hollowed-out pumpkin for your little learners to use in hands-on play.

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Golf Tee Pumpkin Play

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This last pumpkin sensory activity is less messy than the above slimy, goopy versions. Simply set a carved or uncarved pumpkin out on a table along with small, child-sized hammers and a container of golf tees. Invite little learners to use a hammer to gently pound the golf tees into the pumpkin. This is a great activity for practicing eye-hand coordination. Two children can share in this activity at a time, providing an opportunity for cooperative, synergetic play.