Little kids are always on the move. Boys and girls alike often love digging and exploring much more than just sitting still.  If you need your kids to just sit still in one place for a while, you will want to try a sensory bin activity.

What is a sensory bin?

A sensory bin is a container, typically a plastic tub, that is filled with materials and objects of different textures to help stimulate the senses of preschoolers. 

You can make them as in depth or as simple as you like. The main idea is to have different textures and sizes of objects for them to feel and explore. A simple sensory bin may have just 2-3 objects, and a more in depth sensory bin may have 5-7 objects. 

We enjoyed our 3 sensory activities so much, and have repeated them quite a bit. If your kids are really into Halloween like mine are, you will love this simple Halloween sensory bin idea. It’s easy, inexpensive and loads of fun. 

Simple Halloween Sensory Bin: 

 

Supplies: 

1. Dry black beans
2. Bin – we used an orange Home Depot paint tray because I happened to have one. It made for great Halloween colors! 
3. Skeletons
4. Spiders
5. Mini Pumpkin

Your kids will love playing with this, setting up the skeletons and hiding the spiders. The beans can make a mess, so I would suggest using a deeper bin, or playing with it outside so it doesn’t make a mess in the house. 

If you make it with a large enough bin, this simple sensory bin can even be a preschool classroom idea, too. 

Time spent on a sensory bin is also a great time to read to them. Grab some Halloween inspired books and read aloud while they dig, explore, and play.

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