DIY sensory bins can be a really fun (and cheap) way to keep kids entertained while giving them sensory stimulation and practicing important skills. Your sensory bin doesn’t have to be fancy, and the one I’ll show you today can be made with things you probably have in your kitchen in under 5 minutes. This simple rice sensory bin is so fun and my kids are obsessed with it. Read on to find out how to set up your own and also find other great quick and easy indoor play ideas from my friends in the Kid Blogger Network.
We set up our rice sensory bin in our DIY water table that doubles as a sensory bin and play station. You can also use pretty much any tub, bowl, or basin you have and turn it in to a sensory bin. Before we made this one I often used a plastic drawer from a shelving unit. I poured in a few cups of dry rice, and then added measuring cups, spoons, a whisk, and cupcake liners. That’s it. I invited the kids to play and sat back and drank my coffee while they enjoyed the sensory bin for 45 MINUTES. For real. It was glorious.
The point of a sensory bin is to let kids explore and develop their senses, so it is best if you let them play freely. They will scoop and dump and sprinkle and grab and spoon the rice, fascinated by the way it moves and pours and feels. Best of all, the rice sweeps up easily and can be stored for another day’s play.
Check out more of our indoor play ideas here, preschool ideas here, and outdoor play ideas here. What is your favorite quick and easy indoor play idea?
Follow Becca Eby ~ Bare Feet on the Dashboard’s board Play Time on Pinterest.
More Quick and Easy Indoor Play Ideas:
Paper Airplane Landing Strip from What Do We Do All Day?
Coloring Rocks with Permanent Markers from Betsy’s Photography
Number Cereal Sensory Bin from Adventures of Adam
Make a Car Track with Painter’s Tape from The Jenny Evolution
Teach the Letter A with Paper Airplanes from Sight and Sound Reading
How to Make Cardboard Cookies from The Gingerbread House
Squiggle Drawing from Study at Home Mama
Looks like a lot of fun! I need to remember this next time I am looking for something for my little ones to do.
You can’t beat rice for sensory play!
Thank you for the reminder that the emphasis is on FREE PLAY. It is so easy to get caught up in not making a mess, or designing our own purposes/intentions for sensory bins.
Pinned, shared, tweeted!