When summer comes around, my go-to toy is actually water. You can use it for so many things and for some reason my kids just love it. The most expensive toy they’ve gotten doesn’t even come close to just splashing in a tub filled with water. The next time you add some lemon to your water bottle, save some for this Summer Lemon Sensory Bin.
For more ideas, check out 30 Water Sensory Bins for Summer
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.
One of the many benefits of sensory play is that it helps children’s fine motor development. Ie. It makes the muscles in their fingers, thumb, and hands stronger. Being able to use your fingers is so important from a very young age. Long before they hold a pen, your kids need to feed themselves, pick up a toy and be able to push themselves up during tummy time. All of these require strong fingers. Sensory bins are fantastic for strong fingers because they are usually made up of small, fiddly things. Scooping, pouring and exploring sensory bins all involve fine motor development.
My favorite summer sensory bin has to be our Shark Bay Sensory Bin. I used our Beach-Safe Rainbow Sand Recipe to make some of our sandbox sand blue. Afterward, I added a whole lot of different treasures to the top of, and underneath the waves.
I also created some Watermelon Slime for my kids. They loved playing with the “seeds” and it ended up being a really good workout for their little fingers.
For more ideas, read 25 Summer Sensory Activities for Toddlers and Preschoolers.
Materials needed
- Lemons
- Water
- Food Coloring
- Sensory Bin Tools
- Large Container
How to set up a Summer Lemon Sensory Bin
There are a few different ways that you can set up a lemon sensory bin. I chose to slice my lemons and have them floating in the water. I also made the water blue by adding a bit of food coloring into it. However, you can always start out with no water and cut the lemons in half. After this, you could encourage your kids to squeeze the juice out of the lemon and into the tub. This squeezing is a fantastic fine motor activity for kids. But just make sure that they don’t have any cuts on their hands otherwise they will sting.
RELATED: Lemon Scented Rice: Summer Sensory Bin – Little Bins for Little Hands
It’s hard to believe that something so simple was played with for such a long time. My toddler loved tasting the lemons, while my preschooler had fun scooping up the lemons and then using the lemon water to water our garden plants. I’m sure the plants enjoyed the water too.
Another benefit is that this sensory bin is completely taste-safe, making it one of my 15 Amazing Taste Safe Sensory Bins for Babies.
Related: How to Make Taste-Safe Rainbow Rice
Related: Taste-Safe Mud Recipe
Get over 80+ pages of Summer themed play based learning activities and craft templates. Perfect for preschool and kindergarten.
Are you going to make a Summer Lemon Sensory Bin for your kids?
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