Halloween Sensory Bin

Children experience the world through their senses just like we do as adults. The only difference  being we typically aren’t sticking foreign objects in our mouth to figure out what it is. It is quite fascinating to watch a toddler explore the world in front of them with such curiosity over common objects. Sensory Bins are a great way for children to experiment with their 5 senses at once. Sensory bins include sight, touch, smell, sound, and even taste! When their senses are stimulated their brain is creating memory and learning patterns that can be called upon for future learning. Sensory bins help develop the following skills:

Fine Motor Skills by adding plastic shovels or spoons for scooping, tongs or chopsticks to pinch small items, and  toys to sort and grab with hands. 

Cognitive Skill by asking your child to sort specific items by color, size, shape, etc. You can also play eye spy or make a list of items they need to find!

Language Skills by talking with your child about what they are searching for and verbally expressing their thought process and actions.

Imagination Skills by encouraging the child to self play.

Shared Play Skills by playing with your child or having multiple children share one bin.

Sensory Bin Tips:

• Use a clear bin so they can see all the items from different angles
• Put a mess matt underneath the bin or take it outside
• Use ziplock bags to store rice (or other items) between uses
• Pick appropriate sized items for the child to avoid choking hazards

We made a Halloween themed bin with the following items! The black rice and black bats and spiders were a little more advanced with color separation. 

Black Rice

Plastic Bats and Spiders 

Plastic Mini Pumpkins

Plastic Shovels