Easy Fall Rainbow Oats Sensory Bin for Toddlers

I just love how oats look like tiny little leaves. So I had fantastic fun using that idea to make this Fall Rainbow Oats Sensory Bin. Toddlers and preschoolers will love playing with this easy activity, and since it’s taste-safe, even older babies can join in on all of the sensory fun.

You can use this sensory idea both at home or in the classroom as part of a Fall / Autumn themed lesson plan.

Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times. Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

5 Minutes + the Fall Activity Pack = 😄

For only $10 you’ll get 80+ pages, filled with Fall themed math and literacy centers, fine motor activities, arts and crafts templates, and more. All of which are aligned with preschool learning standards.

Take a closer look inside or get it here.

More Fall Themed Sensory Activities to try

I love a fun sensory play idea, I find there’s no better way to spend a Fall afternoon with my kids than with some open-ended play. Here are some more Autumn theme sensory box ideas for toddlers and preschoolers to try. They’ll have so much fun playing with these new ideas the next time you’re stuck inside on a rainy day.

For more ideas, take a look at these 25 Fall Sensory Activities.

Materials Needed

A bag of raw oats.
Vinegar
Food coloring in different colors
A zipper seal bags (1 for each color that you’re making)
A tray or plate (1 for each color that you’re making)
A large plastic container
Sensory bin tools (E.G. bowls, cups and spoons)
Cardboard tubes

Although it’s not essential, if you want to make your sensory bin ideas mess-free, get a Play Mat and Toy Storage 2-in-1 Combo.

It makes it so easy to pour the sensory bin right back into the container. Cleaning up takes 2 minutes with this easy mom hack. Check out the Play Mat here to see how it can help you keep your house tidy.

How to Make a Fall Rainbow Oats Sensory Bin

Make the Rainbow Oats

You can use this recipe to make oats all the colors of the rainbow. While I chose only Fall colors for this themed sensory bin, you can save the recipe to use for any fun idea you may have for an easy sensory activity in the future.

1. Take a handful of oats and place them in a ziplock bag with a tablespoon of vinegar and 10 drops of food coloring.

You can add in as much food coloring as you like. It’ll depend on what type of food dye you’re using. For example, gel based food coloring is stronger, and you won’t need as many drops to make bright colors.

Vinegar has two different uses in making rainbow oats:

It helps the color to go further, more liquid means that more of the oats will be covered.
It helps the color to set. It stops the food coloring from coming off the oats and onto your child’s hands or fingers when they’re playing this sensory bin idea.

2. Close and shake the ziplock bag until all of the oats are covered in color.

If you find that not all of the oats are colored, then you can always add in more vinegar and food coloring. Then shake the bag of oats again until you get the results you want.

3. Pour the oats onto a plate or tray to dry.

4. Repeat steps 1 – 3 for each of the different colors that you are using.

I ended up making red, yellow and two different shades of orange oats for my Fall sensory bin. However, I didn’t color all of the oats in my bag, I left at least half of it undyed.

Make the Trees

5. Take a toilet paper roll, or a large cardboard tube and cut one end into strips.

These strips can be roughly a third or a half of the whole cardboard roll.

6. Bend the strips outwards, these will be your tree branches.

Assemble the Sensory Bin

7. Take your plastic bin and cover the bottom with the un-dyed oats.

8. Pour the different colors of dyed oats into small circular piles, throughout the sensory tub.

I did this intentionally, because I wanted it to look like the trees (cardboard rolls) had lost their leaves (the colored oats). I liked how it looked like the leaves had fallen to the base of the tree, just like in real life.

9. Place your cardboard trees into the center of each colorful pile.

10. Assemble your sensory bin tools and enjoy playing.

Sensory bin tools don’t have to be fancy. Just take a look in your kitchen and see what you already have on hand. I use plastic bowls, cups and regular spoons for all of my sensory bins.

Different Ways to Play

Scoop and Pour

Use the spoons, cups or your hands to scoop up the oats and pour them into another container. This is a simple activity but one that is incredibly beneficial for young children.

Fill the Trees

You can also fill the cardboard tube trees with oats. See how many oats you can balance on the trees before they spill or the whole tree falls over.

Bury the Elephant

My son had fun bringing his toy elephant out to play with the oats. This bit of imaginative play was wonderful to watch, especially as the elephant got buried and had to find his way out again and again.

Writing Tray

Use your colorful sensory bin as a writing tray. Draw shapes or letters in the oats using your finger or a paintbrush.

If this is something your child really enjoys, then consider placing a colorful piece of paper on the bottom of the tub, before filling it with oats. The contrasting paper will make sure that anything you write or draw in the oats becomes easier to see.

What You’re Learning

Sensory

There are multiple ways that this Fall themed sensory experience encourages a curious toddler to engage their senses.

Feeling the oats with your hands is a great opportunity for tactile exploration.
The oats also have a variety of colors to provide visual stimulation.
Pouring the oats into different containers (also while empty and full) can also make different sounds to play experiment with.
You can also add essential oils to your oats to engage the sense of smell. (Essential oils are not taste safe, do not add them if you know you’re child may put the oats in their mouths)

Of course, if you really want to emphasize different textures, you can add in more fun items, such as acorns or pine cones.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills refer to the small muscles in the hand and fingers. Developing these skills are important in being able to write when the kids go to school, as well as being able to complete tasks independently. (For example, dressing and feeding themselves).

Picking up and using spoons, and cups, as well as just moving the oats around with your hands are all going to help young kids develop:

Palmar grasp (E.g. holding spoons)
Pincer grip (E.g. for picking up individual oats)
Hand-eye coordination (E.g. pouring from one container to another)
Dexterity (E.g. Moving the oats around with your fingers)
Strength (E.g. Holding the spoons steady so the oats don’t spill)

Imaginative Play

You can also include other toys along with this great sensory bin and a fun way to promote imaginative play. My son chose to play with his toy elephant. However you can also include:

Construction vehicles
Woodland animal figures
Toy people

Science

This sensory bin is a wonderful opportunity to talk to your kids about what happens to nature during cooler weather and why some of the trees lose their leaves.

Math

One thing I love about sensory bins is how much math is involved.

Measuring – If you use measuring cups and measuring spoons instead of regular cups or spoons to do the scooping and pouring you can do formal measuring. However you can also do informal measuring. For example, how many spoons does it take to fill the small cup?

Counting – Practice counting to 10 – 20. For example, count how many scoops of oats you’re dumping into the bowl. This is also a great way to practice one-to-one correspondence, where you count each scoop once. Not missing over any and not counting the same scoop twice.

Are you going to make this Fall Rainbow Oats Sensory Bin for your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.