What Should You Put in a Sensory Bin? 

Sensory bins are a great way to help your child with imaginative play. They’re also great for learning colors, counting and even motor skills. They’re just all-around great toys. However, if you’re just starting out with sensory bins, you probably don’t know exactly where to start. 

The first thing you need to think about is what actually goes in the sensory bin. So, let’s talk more about fillers, the different materials, and how they engage kids’ senses.

What Makes a Good Sensory Bin? 

Sensory bins come in all different shapes and sizes. So, there’s no right or wrong way to make and fill a sensory bin, however, there are a few components that come together to create the perfect combination. When putting together your perfect sensory bin, it’s important to use safe and engaging materials. It’s  to use non-toxic ingredients and age-appropriate materials when assembling your sensory bin too.  How do you make one, though? Let’s talk more about that, too.

How to Make a DIY Sensory Bin

Making your own sensory bin can be a fun and satisfying experience. It would make a great activity to do with your toddler and a great bonding experience, too! If you want to try making your own DIY sensory bin, there are three components you’ll need.

1. A container: This could be a big bowl, a shallow container, or even a storage tub. Pro tip: covered sensory bins make for easy storage. 
2. A base material or filler material to go in the container: Some examples of base materials include:
   •  rice 
   • beans 
   • chickpeas
   • sand 
   • water beads
   • pasta
   • popcorn kernels

3. Tools, utensils, and sensory bin toys to enhance the sensory play experience: Some examples of sensory bin tools, utensils, and sensory bin toys include scoops, cups, funnels, tongs, mini resin figures, and themed sensory play items. Adding sensory bin toys and tools is a perfect way to create extra engagement! 

The Role of Different Textures in Sensory Bins

Why does a sensory bin need to be full of different textures? Well, diverse textures are important for sensory development and play a critical role in helping build essential cognitive, motor, and emotional skills. New textures spark curiosity, encourage exploration, enhance tactile processing, and help with sensory regulation and tolerance. Children learn new words when they experience different textures by describing them. Is the material soft, rough, smooth, bumpy, grainy? 

Sensory bin materials have various textures including soft, rough, smooth, and grainy materials. Soft materials add a gentle, soothing texture and include felt balls and pieces, feathers, cotton balls, kinetic sand, playdough, and cloud dough for fillers. Rough materials add tactile contrast and include uncooked pasta, coarse sand and sea salt, and aquarium stones. 

Smooth materials provide a calming experience to sensory play and include items such as dried rice, beans, polished stones, rocks, gems, foam balls, and squishy playdough. Grainy materials add a textured, slightly rough feel that encourages tactile exploration. Different examples of grainy materials include coarse sand, ground coffee beans, and crushed fillers. 

Explore Our Sensory Bin Collection

Now that you know a little more about making sensory bins, perhaps you’d rather not build one yourself. If that’s the case, we have you covered.

Sensory-N-Stuff offers a unique variety of sensory bins for all your toddler’s needs. From the classic sensory bins made with traditional materials to the themed and educational sensory bins, there’s a little something for everyone. Classical Sensory Bins– like the Pastel Rice Starter Set.

• Educational Sensory Bins– like our Outer Space Sensory Bin. 
• Adventure Themed- like the Deluxe Construction Site Sensory Bin. 
• Seasonal Themed- like the Spring Themed Sensory Bin.
• Holiday Themed- like the Easter Bunny Sensory Bin. 

Covered sensory bins are perfect for easy storage. The lids help contain the mess, offering easier cleanup. They can preserve the sensory bin fillers and sensory materials for a longer life span overall.

Themed Sensory Bin Ideas

Looking for fun themed ideas? Themed sensory bins are designed around a specific theme and include coordinated accessories such as objects and small toys that are related to the theme. They have a way of telling a story through imaginative play.

Seasonal themed sensory bins are a great way to experience the change of the seasons and add to the excitement of the holiday season. Seasonal themes range from fall and winter sensory bins to holiday-themed sensory bins including Christmas, Easter, and Halloween sensory bins. 

An educational-themed sensory bin combines sensory exploration with early learning concepts. These can include letters, numbers, science, counting activities, and alphabet hunts. There’s also imaginative play themes including ocean and space adventures and construction zones. 

Safety Considerations

There are some important safety considerations when it comes to sensory bins too. Choosing non-toxic and age-appropriate materials is necessary to ensure your child’s safety. When choosing a sensory bin, look for labels that indicate items are non-toxic. Be mindful of allergens such as nuts, latex, and certain grains. Younger children love to stick things in their mouth so it’s important to stick to edible or taste-safe sensory fillers–and be really careful not to include choking hazards. Regularly inspect your sensory bin items for wear and tear, breakable items, and always supervise your children, especially younger ones, while playing. 

Cleaning and maintaining your sensory bins is also important for longevity. The cleaning process is pretty straightforward. Simply empty the bin, remove all the sensory materials, shake out the debris, and wash the sensory bin. Remove any wet or damaged materials. The bin should be washed with warm, soapy water and dried thoroughly before adding any new materials. After it’s fully dried, you can add your new items to the bin. 

Remember, there’s no right or wrong way to fill a sensory bin. The perfect sensory bin is made from a mix of your favorite tub, your favorite sensory filler, and sturdy tools and fun accessories that make it come to life. Different themes and textures spark the imagination, curiosity, encourage exploration, enhance tactile processing, and help with sensory regulation and tolerance. Shopping for a sensory bin and accessories? Check out the wide variety of Sensory-N-Stuff’s pre-made sensory bin kits.