Learn how to make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for toddlers and preschoolers. This fun sensory activity is so much fun to play with and is packed full of learning opportunities. This play idea is perfect if you’re looking for summer or healthy eating themed activities.
If you want to make your Summer themed lessons a breeze, then check out the Summer Activity Pack. It’s filled with math and literacy centers, fine motor activities and arts and crafts templates. All of which are aligned with preschool learning standards. Check it out today.
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.
More Summer Themed Sensory Play Ideas to Try
For more summer fun try any of these hands-on activities. These creative ideas are perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who love messy play.
- Summer Lemon Sensory Bin
- Watermelon Slime for Kids
- Shark Bay Sensory Bin for Toddlers
- Frozen Water Balloons Sensory Bin
- Beach and Ocean Sensory Squish Bag
For more ideas, take a look at these 25 Summer sensory activities.
Materials Needed
- A large plastic tub
- A large bowl
- Water
- Sand
- Red food coloring
- Dried black beans, or watermelon seeds
- Sensory bin tools (eg. cups, spoons and bowls)
How to make a Watermelon Sensory Bin
Make the red sand
1. Put your sand, red food coloring and water into a large bowl and mix it together.
You only need a small amount of water, just enough to make the sand wet and help spread the food coloring all throughout the sand.
The amount of red food coloring you use will depend on what kind of coloring you have, how bright you want your sand to be and how much sand you are using as a sensory bin filler. When rainbow sand dries, the color fades a bit, so I opted to use a lot of red coloring so that the color of the sand really popped.
I used my rainbow sand recipe for this sensory bin. It’s easy to make and has the added benefit of also washing out. So you can use sand out of your sandbox and know that once you’re finished playing.
2. Leave the sand to dry.
Pour your red sand onto a plate or a tray and leave it to dry. How long the sand takes to dry will depend on how much sand you’ve made and what the weather is like. I made a big batch of red sand for this watermelon themed sensory bin, so it took a few days to dry, even on a hot day in the Australian summer.
Of course, you don’t actually need to let your sand dry, you can play with it wet. The only warning I have for playing with wet rainbow sand is that the food coloring stains and it will come off on your child’s hands and clothes. If this isn’t something that worries you, then feel free to play however you like.
If you don’t want to make your own colored sand, there are so many other options you can use instead. You can try a new material, such as:
- Red kinetic sand
- Red water beads
- Red soap foam
- Red rainbow rice
Put it together
3. Put your red rainbow sand into a large plastic tub.
I was lucky enough to already have a green tub on hand. Which was perfect for me because it mimicked the color of a watermelon rind. So my sensory tub had red on the inside and green on the outside, just like a real watermelon.
4. Sprinkle dried black beans on top of your sand.
I’ve used dried black beans for several other sensory bins, so I used them because I already had them available. However, you can always choose a different item to represent your watermelon seeds. You can also try:
- Black pom poms.
- Black pebbles
- Black water beads
If you’re doing this activity with older kids, write some letters onto black pebbles to make alphabet rocks. This will help kids to learn their ABC’s with some sensory fun.
5. Collect your sensory bin tools and enjoy playing.
Different Ways to Play
Scoop and Pour
Use cups, spoons and bowls to practice scooping and pouring the colored sand. This is a super simple activity that has a surprising amount of learning hiding inside it.
Making Pictures
Either draw pictures in the sand using your fingers, or line up the black beans to make pictures.
You can also use these methods to practice making the upper and lowercase letters. Thereby turning this into a fun letter recognition activity for young children.
Count the Beans
Practice counting to 10 or 20 by picking up and counting the beans as you place them into a small bowl. This is also a fantastic way for children to practice other math skills, such as one-to-one correspondence while they play.
What You’re Learning
Sensory
Touch – explore the different textures of the sand and the black beans, if you really want to add in a whole lot of different textures. Try getting a few different black colored items, with different textures to add into the bin all at once.
Visual – The bright colors of the red sand and green tub are a great way to engage kids who require visual stimulation.
Sound – drop the beans into the plastic container and listen to what sounds they make. Does the tub make a different sound when it’s empty compared to when it’s full? You can also listen to how the sounds change when filling up different sized cups and containers.
Smell – one easy way to involve the sense of smell is to add essential oils to your sensory play activity. Please be aware that essential oils are not safe for consumption and should not be included in any activity where children are likely to put the sensory play items in their mouths.
Creativity
Drawing pictures is a great way to express yourself, whether you use it to express an idea or an emotion. Either way, this helps children to develop communication skills and grow their imaginations.
Literacy
Practicing making letters in the sand is a great way to learn letter recognition and letter formation.
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 the small black beans, as well as scooping and pouring the red sand in this sensory bin activity are all going to help young kids develop:
- Pincer grip
- Palmar grasp
- Hand-eye coordination
- Hand strength
- Dexterity.
STEM
Science – this is a great time to talk to your kids all about watermelons. You can get into the whole watermelon life cycle, or just cover things like where and what they need to grow.
Math – Practice counting different things with your kids. Such as:
- How many black beans can you find?
- How many scoops of sand does it take to fill up a small cup?
Healthy Eating
As a fruit, watermelons are an example of a “everyday food”. Talk to your children about the difference between “everyday food” and “sometimes or treat food”. What these foods do to your body and how they make you healthy.
For more ideas, you can also take a look at these other 16 Healthy Eating Activities for Kids.
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