Budding little construction workers will LOVE this Construction Sensory Play idea. By adding Sand Foam to a Construction Sensory Bin, they are sure to have lots of play! They will enjoy pushing their vehicles around, building with cement, and more. The best part is the sand foam is super easy to make! Follow the step by step directions below to get started setting up your own construction sensory bin.
Looking for a less messy version? Check out our other taste-safe Construction Sensory Bin utilising cereal.
Here are a few more sensory play recipes for you to try:
You might also like to browse our list of messy play activities.
Now if you've never heard of sensory play before, you wouldn't be alone. The benefits of sensory play (click that for a more detailed post on this very topic) is vastly underrated as it is so good for toddlers! From exploring the environment to learning to communicate to exploring texture and so much more - it's no wonder it's gaining popularity.
But what I love especially within sensory play is sensory BINS. So much so, I wrote an entire post on how to get started with sensory bins as well as listing some of our favourite ideas. There are so many fun themes you can create with these and oftentimes, it can be less of a mess as long as your toddler knows to keep everything inside.
This construction sensory play activity in particular utilises sand foam and is a BLAST to play with. Toddlers will love running their vehicles through the foam and pretending to build structures! It's easy to do and can keep toddlers and preschoolers occupied for quite some time.
If you have any sand left after making your sand foam you could use it to create a sand writing tray.
Let's get to the construction sensory bin activity, shall we? Scroll down for step-by-step directions in setting yours up!
Construction sensory play
Sand foam supplies:
- Shaving foam
- Sand
- Construction toys
- Sensory bins or table
How to set up your construction sensory bin
STEP 1: Gather your supplies
First things first - make sure you have all your supplies. It can be a pain when you're running around searching for things!
STEP 2: Mix sand foam
To get started, you'll need to mix up a batch of sand foam. I do this by mixing the shaving foam and sand together in a large tray using either a large spoon or my hands. Add several cups of sand and half the container of shaving cream. Continue adding more until you're happy with the result.
STEP 3: Setup construction sensory play
To set up your sand foam construction sensory play, add the sand foam to the bottom of your sensory bin. Add construction vehicles, rocks, and other accessories to the bin.
STEP 4: Invite your child to play
Now it's time to play! Invite your child to play, using the sand foam as cement to build or move the vehicles around. They can even practice building a wall! You can also add extra containers of water to wash them off, small rocks to enhance play, small road signs, tools, and anything else you can think of.
After about 15 minutes, the sand foam does start to loose the "foam" consistency. Add more shaving foam to get the original texture back and keep playing!
We hope you have lots of fun with your construction sensory bin! Whilst you could do this construction activity using plain sand, making sand foam makes this construction sensory play idea so much more fun! Toddlers are sure to get deep in play and exploration with their sand foam.
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