Are you teaching your kids about the bee life cycle? This Bee Sensory Bin is the perfect addition to a Spring or Bugs and Insects theme in your classroom. Toddlers and preschoolers will love playing with the brightly colored rice in this fun and easy idea.
Make entertaining the kids easy with the Spring Activity Pack.
For only $10 you’ll get 90+ pages of hands-on activities and craft templates. They’re perfect for teaching math, literacy, fine motor skills and more to preschool and kindergarten aged kids.
Take a closer look inside, or buy it here.
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 small commission if you use this link to make a purchase.
More Spring Themed Sensory Play Ideas
Sensory tables are a great way for young children to engage in tactile play. Here are some of my most popular sensory tray ideas for a Spring thematic unit.
- Bird Seed Sensory Bin
- Frog Pond Sensory Bin
- Butterfly Sensory Bin
- Spring Sensory Bag
- Spring Sensory Bottles
For more ideas, take a look at these 17 Spring Sensory Bins.
Materials Needed
- Yellow rainbow rice
- Dried black beans
- A large tub
- Sensory bin tools (spoons, cups, bowls, etc)
How to make a Honey Bee Sensory Bin
1. Fill a large container with yellow rainbow rice.
I used my taste-safe rainbow rice recipe to make this yellow rice. It’s so easy to make and my kids have always had so much fun with it.
I’ve also used this yellow rainbow rice in this bee fine motor activity. Where the bumble bees need to collect the pollen and take it to the hive.
2. Place dried black beans, in lines, across the rice
I only used black beans for this activity. But what I should have done, and only thought of afterwards, is to use strips of black cardboard with different items glued to the tops.
That way the kids could have explored black buttons, pom poms and other small items without any of them being a choking hazard.
3. Decorate with fake flowers, toy bees or whatever other items you want
I kept my bin very simple. However I think that these adorable felt bees would have been a huge hit with my kids. They would be a great addition to your classroom resources and could be used in so many different ways.
Different Ways to Play
1. Scooping and pouring
Scooping, pouring and transferring the rice from one container to another is an amazing way for little learners to develop fine motor skills.
They’ll practice hand-eye coordination, pincer grip, palmar grasp and more, all while learning about the importance of bees.
2. Making letters or shapes
This is a fun hands-on way to introduce your child to literacy or numeracy. Line the black beans up into shapes, letters or numerals.
If your child is creative, they can even try making a smiley face or a flower shape instead.
3. Sort by color
Sort the fillers into black and yellow. Sorting and grouping is an early math concept that even young toddlers can learn.
If you’re using flower or bee props with your bin, you can also sort the items by size, from smallest to biggest.
Over 90+ pages of Spring themed play based learning activities and craft templates. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten.
Are you going to try this Bee Sensory Bin with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.
