We are big fans of sensory play in our house! Since they were small, my girls have loved playing with all manner of sensory play materials. Sensory bins allow your kids to explore and play while keeping the sensory material of choice in one place! So today I am sharing 55 super sensory bin ideas that I know your kids will love.
Also known as sensory tubs or sensory trays, these ideas are fun for home, and also for your home daycare, preschool or kindergarten classroom – whatever you may call them!
55+ Super Sensory Bin Ideas for Kids
Super Sensory Bins for Filling & Pouring
Sensory Play with Rosemary Rice: Make this lovely scented rice sensory tub for simple multi-sensory play.
Potion Making Sensory Bin from Picklebum: Have fun experimenting with smells by making this awesome sensory bin.
Rainbow Chick Peas Sensory Bin from And Next Comes L: Create this cool and colourful chickpea sensory bin great for an easy set up and fun play.
Googly Colored Soup Sensory Bin from Fun At Home With Kids: Try making this awesome sensory soup activity using water and googly eyes!
Edible Sand Sensory Bin from A Little Pinch of Perfect: Make this taste safe sensory sand, perfect for making sand castles and having sensory fun.
Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin from Kindergarten Chaos: Use this method to colour rice for a rainbow themed sensory bin.
DIY Neon Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin from The Imagination Tree: This vibrant neon rice is super simple to make and perfect for both sight and touch play.
Coloring Epsom Salt for Sensory Bins from Little Bins Little Hands: This colored epsom salt recipe is a little different and great for all kinds of sensory play activities.
The Ultimate Pouring Sensory Bin from Frugal Fun For Boys and Girls: Keep your kids busy for hours using this awesome pouring sensory bin.
Feel Good Sensory Bins
Soap Flakes Slime Sensory Bin from Picklebums: Make this super gooey ooey soap slime for a simple and fun hands on sensory activity.
Fresh Mint Sensory Bin from Mama Papa Baba: Try making this fresh mint soup station for fun scented sensory play.
Moon Dough Sensory Bin from Mama Papa Baba: Create this ‘magic’ moon dough for some sensory fun with kids.
Rainbow Clean Mud Sensory Bin from Frogs Snails and Puppy Dog Tails: Check out this amazing rainbow themed clean mud recipe for some colourful sensory fun.
Soap Foam Sensory Bin from Kids In The Kitchen: Make this quick and easy soap foam sensory bin for hours of bubbly fun.
Soothing Lavender Sensory Bin from Nurture Store: Try making this soothing lavender sensory bin. It’s perfect for summer or for calming play before bedtime.
Silky Soft Goop Sensory Bin from Fun Littles: Make this sensory goop bin, it’s great for exploring texture and ideas of liquid and solid.
Story Themed Sensory Bins
Brown Bear Brown Bear Story Sensory Bin: Check out this awesome sensory bin based on the book “Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See?” using coloured beans and animal printables.
We’re Going On a Bear Hunt Story Sensory Bin: Create this fun ‘first story’ sensory bin based off the well loved classic book “We’re Going On A Bear Hunt”.
The Very Hungry Caterpillar Story Sensory Bin from Rubber Boots and Elf Shoes: Make this “Very Hungry Caterpillar” sensory story bin, it’s great for story play and number learning.
The Gruffalo Inspired Sensory Bin from Rainy Day Mum: Try your hand at creating this Gruffalo themed sensory bin for a fun sensory activity and a great way to retell the story.
Three Billy Goats Gruff Story Sensory Bin from Growing Book By Book: This ‘Billy Goats Gruff’ themed sensory bin great for story telling play.
Literacy Play Bins
Find My Name Sensory Bin from Nurture Store: This awesome multi-sensory activity is great for literacy and sensory play.
Reading Words Sensory Bin from I Can Teach My Child: Make this eye-catching sensory bin, it’s great for working on literacy skills.
Alphabet Soup Sensory Play from The Kindergarten Connection: Try using this creative letter learning activity, great for encouraging learning through sensory play.
Pretend Play Sensory Bins
Bubbles + Duplo Sensory Bin: This bubbles and Duplo sensory bin is a quick and easy sensory play option for kids who love to build.
Frog Pond Sensory Bin from Picklebums: Create your own little frog pond and small world to explore with this frog themed sensory play activity.
Pond Life Sensory Bin from Fun Littles: Make your own super fun pond themed sensory bin with water beads and pond creatures!
Sand Tray Town Sensory Bin from Picklebums: This sand tray small world idea is a super fun sensory and imaginative play activity.
Dino Slime Sensory Bin from Picklebums: This fun dino themed slime is super quick and easy to set up and so much fun!
Dinosaur Swamp Sensory Bin from The Imagination Tree: This dino swamp sensory play utilises a water table to create an exciting mix of sensory and imaginative play.
Insect and Bugs Sensory Bin from Fun With Mama: This awesome bug and insect sensory play is a wonderful way for kids to explore bugs and insects.
Washing Animals Sensory Bin: Set up this awesome animal sensory play activity with just soapy water, a towel and a cloth.
RELATED: Our Pick of the best sensory toys, check out our list of Sensory Gift Ideas for Kids
Colourful Fun With Rainbow Sensory Bins
Rainbow Color Sorting Sensory Bin from Teaching 2 and 3 Year Olds: This awesome sensory bin uses fun rainbow colours and different textures for multi-sensory play.
Rainbow Spaghetti Sensory Bin from Parenting Chaos: This taste safe rainbow spaghetti play is the perfect sensory experience for younger explorers.
Color Themed Sensory Bin from The Imagination Tree: Make this giant colourful sensory bin, great for teaching toddlers about colours and full body sensory play.
Rainbow Ice Ball Sensory Bin from Craftulate: Make this super cool rainbow ice ball bin for great rainbow themed sensory play that is perfect for summer.
Four Seasons Sensory Bin Ideas
Land of Ice & Snow Sensory Bin from You Clever Monkey: Create this simple snowy invitation to play even if you don’t have real snow!
Ice World Sensory Bin from Learning 4 Kids: This awesome sensory ice tub is great for creating imaginative play and developing fine motor skills.
Ice Cream Sensory Bin from Fantastic Fun and Learning: Try out this ice cream themed sensory activity. It’s great for summer themed play and developing motor skills.
At the Beach Salty Sensory Bin from Picklebums: Create this simple but fun salt sensory play idea using a beach theme to promote imaginative play.
Ocean Sensory Bin from Fun-A-Day: Sensory play doesn’t need to be complicated! Make this awesome ocean themed sensory bin with just 2 materials.
Autumn Leaves Sensory Bin from Picklebums: Create your own little autumn world with some leaves and other natural things for a fun imaginative play activity.
Garden Sensory Bin from Mess for Less: Check out this cool spring themed sensory bin, great for kids to explore plants and flowers.
Flower Garden Sensory Bin from Plain Vanilla Mum: Kids of all ages will love this super cute flower sensory bin.
Birds and Worms Sensory Bin from Modern Preschool: This activity is a great way to promote fine motor skills and colour sorting in a fun way using wiggly worms and birds!
Transport Themed Sensory Bin Ideas
Construction Site Sensory Bin from Still Playing School: Build your own little construction site for hours of sensory play and fun.
Diggers in Mud Sensory Bin from The Imagination Tree: Make this awesome edible mud and create your own construction site!
Sandbox Diamond Mine Sensory Bin: Kids will love this diamond mine sensory sand box as they search for and dig up treasures.
Star Wars Sensory Bin from Fun-A-Day: This cool Star Wars themed sensory bin is great for story creation and fun for all the Star Wars fans.
Nuts and Bolts Sensory Bin from Best Toys 4 Toddlers: Make this quick to set up sensory bin, great for both tactile play and developing fine motor skills
Construction Site Sensory Bin from Busy Toddler: This shredded paper construction site sensory bin is a great option for easy and affordable sensory play.
Galaxy Sensory Bin from Best Toys For Toddlers: Create this super cool, out of this world, galaxy sensory bin with space themed objects and beans.
Coffee Beans Space Sensory Bin from I Heart Crafty Things: This coffee bean sensory bin is the perfect backdrop for outer space themed play!
Holidays & Celebrations Bins
Birthday Themed Cloud Dough Bin from The Imagination Tree: This deliciously scented cloud dough is so awesome you’ll think it’s your birthday!
Gingerbread Scented Rice Sensory Bin: Make this awesome Christmas themed gingerbread rice. It’s perfect for scooping, filling and pouring sensory play.
Peppermint Rice Sensory Bin from Coffee Cups and Crayons: This peppermint scented rice sensory bin is perfect for holiday themed sensory play with a cool candy cane colour scheme.
Valentines Day Sensory Bin from The Imagination Tree: This adorable texture focused Valentine’s Day themed sensory bin is the perfect activity for little hands.
Frozen Hearts Sensory Bin from Inspiration Laboratories: Try making this frozen oobleck heart for some cool Valentine’s themed fun.
Easter Sensory Bin from Pre K Pages: Have some Easter themed fun with these sensory bins that are all about exploration, imaginative play, and developing fine motor skills.
For even more great sensory play inspiration – in and out of bins, check out our collection of 31 days of sensory play ideas, or have fun with these sensory bottles, before exploring our fun list of sensory ideas for learning about the five senses.
Christie Burnett is a teacher, presenter, writer and the mother of two. She created Childhood 101 as a place for teachers and parents to access engaging, high quality learning ideas.
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert in sensory play, I have spent years exploring and experimenting with various sensory materials and activities. I have seen firsthand the benefits and joy that sensory play brings to children. My knowledge and expertise in this field allow me to provide you with a comprehensive overview of the concepts used in this article.
The article discusses 55+ super sensory bin ideas that are perfect for engaging and entertaining kids. Sensory bins, also known as sensory tubs or sensory trays, are a fantastic way for children to explore and play while containing the sensory materials in one place. These ideas are not only suitable for home play but also for home daycare, preschool, or kindergarten classrooms.
The sensory bin ideas are categorized into different themes to cater to various interests and learning opportunities. Here are the concepts used in the article:
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Super Sensory Bins for Filling & Pouring: These sensory bins focus on activities that involve filling and pouring. Examples include sensory play with rosemary rice, potion making sensory bin, rainbow chickpeas sensory bin, and googly colored soup sensory bin.
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Edible Sensory Bins: These sensory bins utilize edible materials, making them safe for young children. Examples include edible sand sensory bin, rainbow rice sensory bin, DIY neon rainbow rice sensory bin, and coloring Epsom salt for sensory bins.
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Feel Good Sensory Bins: These sensory bins aim to provide a soothing and calming sensory experience. Examples include soap flakes slime sensory bin, fresh mint sensory bin, moon dough sensory bin, and soothing lavender sensory bin.
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Story Themed Sensory Bins: These sensory bins are based on popular children's stories, promoting literacy and imaginative play. Examples include Brown Bear Brown Bear story sensory bin, We're Going On a Bear Hunt story sensory bin, The Very Hungry Caterpillar story sensory bin, and The Gruffalo inspired sensory bin.
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Literacy Play Bins: These sensory bins combine sensory play with literacy activities. Examples include Find My Name sensory bin and reading words sensory bin.
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Pretend Play Sensory Bins: These sensory bins encourage imaginative play. Examples include bubbles + Duplo sensory bin, frog pond sensory bin, pond life sensory bin, and sand tray town sensory bin.
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Story Themed Sensory Bins: These sensory bins are based on specific stories, providing a multisensory experience. Examples include dinosaur-themed sensory bins, insect and bugs sensory bin, and washing animals sensory bin.
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Colourful Fun With Rainbow Sensory Bins: These sensory bins focus on colors and textures. Examples include rainbow color sorting sensory bin, rainbow spaghetti sensory bin, color-themed sensory bin, and rainbow ice ball sensory bin.
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Four Seasons Sensory Bin Ideas: These sensory bins are inspired by the different seasons. Examples include land of ice & snow sensory bin, ice world sensory bin, ice cream sensory bin, and autumn leaves sensory bin.
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Transport Themed Sensory Bin Ideas: These sensory bins revolve around transportation themes. Examples include construction site sensory bin, diggers in mud sensory bin, sandbox diamond mine sensory bin, and Star Wars sensory bin.
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Holidays & Celebrations Bins: These sensory bins are designed for specific holidays and celebrations. Examples include birthday-themed cloud dough bin, gingerbread scented rice sensory bin, peppermint rice sensory bin, and Valentine's Day sensory bin.
These concepts provide a wide range of sensory play ideas that cater to different interests, themes, and learning opportunities. They are not only engaging and entertaining for children but also promote cognitive, sensory, and fine motor skills development. By incorporating these sensory bin ideas into playtime or educational settings, you can create an enriching and enjoyable experience for your children.
