How to Make a Winter Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers
Winter Sensory Bin - Supplies:
- Small Tray
- Tweezers
- Cotton balls
- Winter sensory bin printables
- Other winter-themed items (scroll down for some ideas)
Winter Sensory Play
STEP 1: Set up your winter sensory bin:
First things first, you will need to spend a few minutes setting up your winter sensory bin! Get all your supplies in order and start by filling up a small tray with your cotton balls.
Now, add a selection of other winter themed items to your sensory bin. Try to add white items that go along with the winter theme, like white pom poms, small wooden people, and white q-tips. Mirrors are fun to include too, we went with our number mirrors.
Of course, don’t forget to get our winter sensory bin printable, cut out and laminate each shape and add it to the tray. The winter images included in our printable pack are a snowman, snowflake, winter hat, mittens, hot cocoa and a winter coat.
You can lay the printable shapes on top of the sensory bin once all the other items are in it or hide them under the cotton balls to make your little one work on finding each shape.
As well as cutting out and laminating each shape, you may want to print off a second page of images to use for matching the winter shapes. There is also a black and white page of the images (not pictured) that your toddler or preschooler could use to colour in the winter items as they find them.
Also, include some tweezers in your winter sensory bin so your toddler can pick up and move around all the items.
STEP 2: Use your winter printables.
Now you have set up your winter sensory bin it is time to play! Encourage your toddler or preschooler to hunt for the winter images and pick them up using their fingers or a pair of tweezers. Discuss the image; what colour is it, has your toddler seen it before?
Once your toddler or preschooler has picked up the winter picture see if they can match it with the corresponding picture on the winter printable.
Ollie (aged 2) had a lot of fun with this, he loved pretending to put it on the wrong shape to see my reaction!
Once they have matched up all of the winter shapes encourage your toddler or preschooler to hide them again in the sensory bin so they can repeat the activity.
STEP 3: Play!
For playtime, not only can you use the winter printables, you toddler can have a lot of fun with all the sensory items.
They can sort items into groups and pick them up using fine motor tools.
Putting this sensory bin for toddlers and preschoolers together is so easy-peasy, right? We hope you (and your little one!) have tons of fun bonding with this sensory winter bin!
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