Sensory play is fantastic for young kids. Babies, toddlers, and preschoolers all benefit from sensory activities in different ways. Preschoolers are thirsty for knowledge and are beginning to be exposed to more complex concepts. Such as writing, maths, and more. Incorporating these concepts in a fun way, such as sensory bins, is one example of how kids learn through play. Here are 19 sensory bins for preschool that have a little something extra for your curious preschoolers.
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1. Fossils Sensory Bin – ABCs of Literacy
When your kids match the photograph to the fossil, they are working on identifying the similarities and differences between the pictures.
By doing this activity, they are developing their visual discrimination skills which are important when learning the ABC’s and practicing letter recognition.
2. Sensory Bag Number Hunt – Team Cartwright
Roll the dice and find the matching number. This sensory squish bag is a fantastic way to practice matching a number with its written numeral.
You could also do this with letters, shapes, or colors. Depending on what you want your kids to learn.
3. Sea Turtle Life Cycle Sensory Bag – The Preschool Toolbox
Biology is a fantastic activity for your science center.
These squish bags demonstrate the different life stages of turtles and makes this sensory activity a fun and educational activity.
4. Counting Carrots Sensory Bin
This counting carrots sensory bin encourages preschoolers to match the numbers on the carrots to the number on the egg carton.
If your students need an extra challenge, place dots on the carrots instead. For example, the carrots with five black dots on it needs to be matched to the egg carton with the number 5 numeral written on it.
5. Printable Alphabet Cards: Fall Leaves – Typically Simple
Find the letters hiding in this easy sensory bin. You can use the printable letters or write them yourself onto some craft leaves. Including both upper and lower case letters would make this a fantastic way to practice matching letters.
6. Sensory Wall Mosiac Art for Kids – Mama Smiles
Sticky walls are sometimes overlooked as a sensory experience since they’re mainly used for art and fine motor activities.
However, there’s something about putting your hand on and pulling it off of the contact paper that kids just love.
Use sticky contact paper to explore geometric designs with some foam blocks or shapes. It’s a great way to explore math and build some upper body strength at the same time.
7. Letter “X” Marks the spot sensory bin – Mosswood Connections
This sensory bin is perfect for little pirates, and a wonderful way of introducing preschoolers to map reading. Best of all, it’s so easy to do in the sandbox.
8. Shape Sorting Sensory Bin
This sensory bin for preschool comes with FREE Printable shape cards and shape templates. All you need to do is place some different colored paper in the printer and cut them out at the end. Sort the shapes by color or shape, and learn a bit of maths along the way. Get your free copy here.
9. Alphabet Zoo – Happy Toddler Playtime
In this activity you’ll have a sensory bin filled with letters, and animals that start with those letters. But what I really want you to read is what Happy Toddler Playtime calls “setting the story”. It’s such a simple way to really get your kids engaged with the activities in front of them.
Matching the animals to their letters is probably going to get boring fast for most kids, but by learning how “set the story”, you’re turning it into a fun game instead.
10. Dig, Dump, Roll Sensory Bin – Finding Myself Young
I’ll be honest with you. This activity gets me so excited. It’s not the fact that you’ll learn sight words, or different types of construction vehicles. It’s the fact that it’s all been placed inside a cutlery tray.
One of my biggest headaches when preparing an activity is placing everything in different containers so that it looks inviting to the kids. But then those containers go everywhere the momet I’m not looking because they’re…well, kids.
I don’t know about you, but I can’t wait to try this instead. A cutlery tray is a hack you don’t want to forget.
11. Sensory Colorwheel Art – Hands On Teaching Ideas
Playing with colors is always fun. But what happens when each of those colors also feels different? Get your copy of the free colorwheel printable from Hands On Teaching Ideas to try this activity.
12. Counting Pumpkin Seeds Sensory Bin
Make some pumpkins out of old egg cartons and use them to create a counting pumpkin seeds sensory bin. Write the number on the inside of each pumpkin and encourage the children to place the same number of pumpkin seeds into each egg carton pumpkin.
13. Construction Alphabet Sensory Bin – ABCs of Literacy
Find and match the letters in one of the best construction sensory bins for preschool. Use the printable letters to create the children’s names and turn this into a name recognition activity.
14. Sensory Exploration of nuts and seeds – Spark and Pook
This sensory activity is another fantastic way to explore some biology. Get materials from nature and let the kids explore while you talk about the different parts of the display.
Talk about how seeds grow into trees, leave create energy through photosynthesis, or about the kinds of animals that live in the trees.
15. DIY Sensory Play Pancakes – Barley and Birch
Are you ready to add some maple syrup slime to your home corner? You can easily create pancakes from carboard and top it off with some gooey stretchy slime.
Pretend play is an essential part of childhood development. Creating a pancake shop can help to teach preschoolers about the world around them. Such as what kind of vocabulary we use in different situations (e.g. manners), principles (you have to pay for the pancakes, stealing is wrong) and so much more.
16. Sight Words Sensory Bin – Homeschool Preschool.
Sight words sensory bins for preschool allows young readers to see, build, and stamp the words they’re learning. If you’ve got these letter stamps in your classroom bring them out of the art trolley and see what other activities you can use them for.
17. Number Treasure Hunt – Team Cartwright
Wrap the numbers up in foil to create tiny presents? You know the kids will love this one.
They’ll also develop fine motor skills and number recognition while the hunt for all of the hidden treasures.
18. Magnetic Letter Sensory Bin – ABCs of Literacy
This is such a fun way to explore what’s magnetic and what’s not. You don’t have to restrict yourself to just using letters. You can place all sorts of metal things in the sensory bin and let your kids explore what sticks to the magnet wand and what doesn’t.
19. Birthday Math Sensory Bin – Happy Toddler Playtime
Do your kids love to sing happy birthday? Mine do. In fact, I’m given a sand cake everytime we play outside in the sandbox.
This birthday-themed sensory bin is easy to put together, and your kids get to practice counting the candles while they make their pretend birthday cakes
Are you going to try any of these sensory bins for preschool with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.
