Beans and Bugs Simple Sensory Bin

Simple sensory bins are fun to throw together in a few minutes.  Sometimes, all it takes to occupy the kids in a sensory learning activity is just two items that you can find around the house or in the toy bin.  We started a Simple Sensory Bin series a few weeks ago, making sensory bins with just two items.  We’re working our way through the alphabet with simple sensory activities.  Of course we’re not going alphabetically…that would make too much sense 🙂  Instead, we’re just playing our way around the alphabet.  Today, we bring you B is for Beans and Bugs!


Create imagination play sensory fun with beans and bugs

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“B” themed sensory bin

We gathered up just two items for this easy sensory bin. 

 shallow tray

Easy sensory play doesn't require more than a few items found around the home.

How easy is this sensory bin?  It doesn’t get much easier to throw together.  Open a bag of dried beans.  Scatter bugs around.  Play.

Explore ants, spiders, and beatles with a sensory activity

We love our Melissa and Doug bugs.  The colors of these little guys are so vibrant and stand out great against the black of the beans.

B is for beans and bugs. Sensory bin for kids

We played with this bug sensory bin for such a long time.  And the pretend play…we had bugs digging in “dirt”, bugs making other buggy friends, and bugs building “dirt houses”.

These three buggy friends were talking and having a party.

Sensory play has never been so easy.  We put these black beans away for another day.  And maybe dinner. 😉
Simple sensory bin play idea with Beans and Bugs.
  

What simple sensory ideas will be next in our series?  Stay tuned for easy ideas coming this way soon!

Little Blue and Little Yellow Activity

Check out this Little Blue and Little Yellow activity to work on color mixing and sensory play with a children’s book favorite! We whipped up a batch of Kool-Aid puffy paint for a sensory play experience that has a scented aspect. Kids will love this color mixing activity, and will be sure to remember it for years to come!
Last week’s Pete the Cat snack and our Chicka Chicka Boom Boom Letter Learning Activity have been a huge hits in our house.  these are some of our most favorite and read (and re-read) books, so this preschool book club series has been a blast!
This week we’re loving another favorite book of ours with Little Blue and Little Yellow.  We made Kool-Aid Puffy Paint to create our own version of color mixing to go along with the book.  This was beyond cool and so much fun to create.

Little Blue and Little Yellow Painting activity

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We LOVE the book Little Blue and Little Yellow, by Leo Lionni.  When we saw this book on the series, I knew we had to do some color mixing.  This Kool-Aid paint recipe smelled so good and the creating mixtures of blue and yellow was a ton of fun.

DIY Puffy Paint Recipe

To make the BLUE paint, I mixed 1/4 cup of flour, one packet of Ice blue raspberry lemonade Kool-Aid, and 4 Tbsp of warm water.


The YELLOW paint was the same recipe, only using a packet of
lemonade flavored Kool-Aid.  Mix the paints up until it’s a smooth consistency and painting is ready to begin!

We made a little blue and a little yellow spot of paint and the kids guessed what color they thought we would get when they mixed.  Little Guy liked to add little bits of color at a time just like in the book to mix into green.

These paints were very sensory!  The texture and scent were such a fun painting experience.

The paints made a pretty green color.

After we mixed a bit of the blue and yellow together, I put the paintings into the microwave for 30 seconds.  These paints puffed right up.  Your microwave oven may vary, so keep a close eye on this while the paints are cooking!

We had to do a bunch more of these.  Baby Girl loves her painting activities!

These puffy paints were very fun.  We painted for a while making puffy blue and yellow mixtures.  And loved the scents!

Kool-Aid puffy paint recipe

Be sure to stop back next week for another Preschool Book and activity.  For now, check out the other awesome ideas to go along with Little Blue and Little Yellow from our Preschool Book Club buddies:
Buggy and Buddy Little Blue and Little Yellow Cookies  | Homegrown Friends Color Changing Rose | Mama. Pappa. Bubba. Blog Color Mixing With Gel Baggies
 Frogs and Snails and Puppy Dog Tails Color Mixing Activity | Meri Cherry Shaving Cream Paint Mixing
Catch all of our preschool book series posts to read and play along:

Easy Sensory Bins

easy sensory bin ideas

These easy sensory bins are inspiring ways to encourage creative play, movement, and skill building in kids. The features listed below are easy sensory bins for the kids to use to learn, explore, and play.  So if you are looking to throw together a sensory bin or two, these are the ones for you…easy and fun!

Be sure to check out our blog post on sensory materials to add as a filler.

Easy Sensory Bins

Sensory bins do not need to be complicated to gain all of the benefits of sensory play! A container, a sensory filler, and small items to manipulate are all you need.

You can create sensory bins for any season or holiday, like these Christmas sensory bins. There are so many ways to support skills with this versatile therapy tool!

 
Easy Sensory Bin ideas for kids
 

This In The Sky Sensory Bin from Sweet Silly Sara uses just a few materials and inspires imagination while encouraging exploration of textures.

Looking for a learning sensory bin idea? This Letter themed sensory bin from Life With Moore Babies uses items from around the house.  No need to purchase anything, just go on a letter hunt and fill a bin!

For an Ocean Sensory Bin, Stir The Wonder used a water table as a sensory bin, making play easy and fun.

It is easy to encourage a little learning with this Math and Science Sensory Bins from One Time Through.  Simple objects can allow for big learning of math, science, and more.

Nature inspired sensory bins are maybe the easiest way to explore textures and the great outdoors.  This Sticks Sensory Bin hits the mark with fine motor play, imagination, and fun.

More easy sensory bin ideas:

These easy sensory bin ideas hit the mark when it comes to working on motor skills, sensory exploration, and creative play. Use the easy sensory bin ideas below to inspire development and movement using materials found around the home.

  • Sight Word Sensory Bin – Grab paper from the paper shredder and add some cut up paper pieces or flash cards. This sight word sensory bin is great for challenging tactile sensory input with all paper in a variety of textures. You can use numbers, letters, sight words, spelling words, or any other learning component with this paper sensory bin.
  •  Rocks Sensory Play – Incorporate rocks from the garden or head to the dollar store and use craft rocks. This is a fun easy sensory bin to inspire tons of creative play, imagination, and communication or language building. Add small bug figures, play dough, or any small toy for fine motor work. The rocks offer heavy work, proprioception through the hands and fingers. 
  • Calming Water Bead Sensory Bin – Have you used water beads? They are a fun tactile sensory play experience! Just add water and have fun with the senses.
  • Sensory Letter Play for Kids – A foam letter puzzle from the dollar store is a great addition to sensory play and can be used in so many ways. Try these ideas to get you started.

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

Bug Small World Rock Sensory Bin Filler

This bug small world is a rock sensory bin that builds fine motor skills through play. Let’s break down how we made this sensory bin activity.

Bug Sensory Bin

This is all about sensory bins!  Each blogger is featuring a different sensory bin filler.  So WHAT is a sensory bin filler you ask?? You know the stuff that makes up the base of the sensory bin.  Sand, shredded paper, or any other textural item might be the base of your sensory bin and part of the sensory experience. 
 
We decided to make our sensory bin with a rock filler.  We filled a bin with rocks and added a bug small world for play and exploration.  What fun!
 


 
This sensory bin will inspire imagination, pretend play, and fine motor skills.

 

 


Bug Sensory Bin

This bug sensory bin was a fun way to explore bugs and insects while developing fine motor skills. 
 
 

 

 

We started with a bin of river rock
and added some touches to make a bug small world.  These
bugs, a few fake flowers, and strands of floral filler made a pretty fun small world.
 
We were ready to play!
 
 

 

 

 
These bugs are too cute and just right for some pretend play.
 

Baby Girl used a magnifying glass
to examine the bugs.  Love that squashed up nose!

 
We had a ton of fun pretending these little bugs were a family and building a house with rocks.
 
 
You’ve got to examine the rocks with the magnifying glass, of course.

 

Manipulating the rocks, bugs, and pieces to our sensory bin provided great fine motor play, language development, sensory exploration, and just plain fun!

Looking for more sensory ideas using rocks?  Try some of these:

 
 
 
Do you have a post featuring rocks as a sensory medium?  Link it up below.  We would love to see it!
 

 

Sensory play activity with rocks

We are huge fans of sensory play around here.  This super simple rock activity kept the kids occupied for a long time one day.  It doesn’t take much to keep a couple of toddlers and preschoolers busy when you give them a bin of soapy water and something to clean!  Sensory play and fine motor play go hand in hand with this rock activity.


Sensory play with rocks

 

Sensory play with rocks

{Note: This post contains affiliate links.  In other words, this blog will receive monetary compensation when any purchases are made through the links in this post.  Our opinions and ideas are in no way affected.  You can read our full disclosure policy here.  As always, we thank you for your support and community here at Sugar Aunts.}
sensory and fine motor fun with rocks
We started with a bin of river rocks
that we’ve had for ages.  These little rocks were a little dusty from spending the winter outside.  before we could play with them, they needed a scrub down.  
A bin of warm soapy water, a colander, and clean water and we all we needed  to set up this easy activity.  Throw in a scrub brush and sponge and we were ready to go.
sensory activity for kids using rocks and soapy water.
Little Guy loved this activity.  He scrubbed the rocks clean!  Using the scrub brush is a great way to work on bilateral land coordination to hold the brush and the rock…and tripod grasp to hold the little rocks.

playing with rocks and a soapy bin of water is a great fine motor and sensory activity for kids.
Baby Girl got in on this soapy fun too.  This sensory activity was so neat to play with the suds and find the rocks at the bottom of the bin.

squeezing a sponge is a great fine motor exersice for kids.

Squeezing a sponge is a great way to work on gross grasp of the hands.  Little Guy said, “this is the best fun, Mom!” …success!

washing rocks is a great fine motor and sensory activity for kids.

Our rocks were nice and scrubbed clean and ready for play.  And now to get them doing dishes…

Christmas Sensory Fine Motor Noodle Play

This sensory play activity with noodles was a hit with Baby Girl (age 2)!  She loved the fine motor aspect and the sensory play.  She is a fun-loving two year old and this Christmas play activity was just right for her. 
 


 


Christmas Sensory Play with Noodles

 
Candy Cane Sensory and Fine Motor Christmas Play with noodles. By Sugar Aunts

Noodle Fine Motor and Sensory Play

 
{Note: This post contains affiliate links.  In other words, this blog will receive monetary compensation when any purchases are made through the links in this post.  Our opinions and ideas are in no way affected.  As always, we thank you for your support and community here at Sugar Aunts.}
 
We had a handful of noodles that were left over from a meal and were not going to be eaten.  These were the perfect thing for a little sensory and fine motor play…candy cane style!  I grabbed half of the noodles and tossed them with red food coloring in a baggie.  A few drops of peppermint extract in the baggie and another good shake, and we were ready to play.  I added a couple of drops of extract to the un-dyed noodles too…these sensory noodles smelled so good!
 

We had the red noodles mixed in with the un-dyed noodles in a bin and a cookie sheet right beside it.  Baby Girl spent the longest time just pulling noodles out and laying them on the cookie sheet.  This was such a fun sensory play experience for her. 

 
I extended the play a little bit longer (and added a fine motor component) by pulling out a recycled grated cheese container.  I showed her how to thread the noodles into the holes of the lid.  This was great fine motor work.  She loved threading the red and white noodles through the holes.  We worked a little on the color red, too. 
 
 

Swamp Explorers Dramatic Pretend Play

Swamp explorers swamp sensory bin

This swamp explorers activity for kids is a water dramatic play idea that builds skills through sensory swamp fun! As parents and caregivers, we’re always on the lookout for fun and educational activities to keep our kids engaged and entertained. If you’re looking for an activity that will transport your child to a whole new world of imaginative play, look no further than a swamp sensory bin! By creating a miniature swamp environment in a bin filled with sensory materials, you can encourage your child’s creativity and sensory exploration while also helping them learn about the natural world. In this blog post, we’ll show you how to set up a swamp sensory bin and provide some ideas for how your child can use it for pretend play. Get ready to dive into the murky depths of a swamp and have some swamp-tastic fun!

Swamp Sensory Bin

A Swamp explorers activity with water dramatic play is a fun way to pretend to explore a swamp…without the threat of alligators and snakes!

 
We love great sensory play.  So when I saw these lizards, snakes, and bugs I knew we had to create a swampy sensory play.  With a little summer learning mixed in!
 
I set this up for the kids by scattering a few creatures around our yard, and creating a swamp sensory bin.  Complete with mucky water.
Swamp explorers swamp sensory bin
 
 
 
When they saw the swamp in our baby pool, they jumped right in!  We went on a hunt looking for swampy creatures of all colors.
 
 
 
 
This activity is a great backyard sensory activity! It incorporates all the benefits of a nature walk with a fun theme like a swamp explorers and swamp theme!
 
We had a check list to find creatures of different types and color.  These were stuck on to a wipe board with play dough for easy portability around the yard.
 
 
Big Sister carried this around as she and Little Guy went on a hunt for swamp creatures.  She would mark them off as they found each one.  We talked about similarities and differences in the animal types and colors.  She loved using a white board marker to write.  We worked on her handwriting including letter formation and spacing. 
 
Little Guy is a new four year old and counted out each of the lizards, snakes, and bugs he found. 
 
He did a great one-to-one correspondence and is getting much better at sloooowing down when he counts objects!  This was such a fun outdoor learn and play activity for all of us!
 
 
You may also enjoy some of our other swamp related posts:
 
 
 
 
 
 

Working on fine motor skills, visual perception, visual motor skills, sensory tolerance, handwriting, or scissor skills? Our Fine Motor Kits cover all of these areas and more.

Check out the seasonal Fine Motor Kits that kids love:

Or, grab one of our themed Fine Motor Kits to target skills with fun themes:

Want access to all of these kits…and more being added each month? Join The OT Toolbox Member’s Club!

Colleen Beck, OTR/L has been an occupational therapist since 2000, working in school-based, hand therapy, outpatient peds, EI, and SNF. Colleen created The OT Toolbox to inspire therapists, teachers, and parents with easy and fun tools to help children thrive. Read her story about going from an OT making $3/hour (after paying for kids’ childcare) to a full-time OT resource creator for millions of readers. Want to collaborate? Send an email to contact@theottoolbox.com.

Calming Waterbead Sensory Bin

We play a lot with water beads.  These blue water beads were part of a 3 pack I found at Walmart.  I wanted to try a calming sensory bin for a while, and the blue water bead pack was perfect!
 
…with three crazy kids, mom needs a little calming activity every now and then :)…

Calming Colors.

Blue is peaceful and relaxing, and produces calming chemicals in the body.  Purple is a color that promotes imagination and is associated with relaxing and calm colors.  It’s said that lighter shades of purple are calming, while deeper shades are stimulating as they pull in more red tones.
 
There is a lot of research out there telling us about how color affects mood and behavior.  Blue and Greens release neurotransmitters that relax and calm the body.  They lower body temperature, decrease perspiration, and suppress appetite.  Reds and Yellows encourage creativity.  (So, pull out those bright and stimulating color strips when you’re getting ready to paint the dramatic play/art/block area!) 





 

Calming Scents.

The sense of smell sends information directly to the brain.  Certain scents can increase our ability to learn, create, think  and attend. Peppermint, basil, lemon, and cinnamon are linked to mental alertness.  Lavender, chamomile, orange, and rose are linked to relaxation and calmness. 

Calming Sensory Bin.

I used our blue water beads and added purple food coloring to the water.  Just a few drops were needed, and the water turned a nice calming shade of purple.  I added a few drops of lavender extract for a nice relaxing scent.  
 
This really was a calming activity for the kids.  They played with the water beads and let them fall between their fingers.  They did go into the kitchen and grab my spatula and whisk.  
 
((They do this every time we pull out the water beads!))
 
Baby Girl played for a long time with this.  She loved it!
Have you done any calming sensory bins?  
 

Letter Bin

This was a great bin to pull out on a cold wintery day.
This bin of letters has been at our house since Big Sister was around 18 months.  I found the letter sets on sale and got 3 or 4 of them for a really inexpensive learning toy.
Big Sister would play with this bin constantly.
I pulled it out again since Baby Girl is almost that age.

Baby Girl and my niece and nephew swarmed right in on this as soon as I put it down on the table.  They played with this off and on allll day!  They would come over, scoop around in the bin, pull letters out, dump it out, put them back in (sort of)…and do it all over again.

They loved the colors, the feel of the letters, the little sound when you swish all the letters together…

Toddler Sensory Bin!

Little Guy is at that stage where he is just beginning to identify letters.  He knows the ones in his name and some others…so this was a perfect learning toy for him, too.  He found the letters in his name and traced them.
Big Sister sorted out some letters and spelled a few words she knows.
We have used these letters so often over the last few years…If you see them on sale, scoop up a few sets.  It’s fun for all ages 🙂