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I believe that sensory play is extremely important for kids. I also love coming up with Christmas activities for kids. So of course, creating a Christmas sensory bin was a no brainer. 🙂
Fortunately, I love sensory bins. I love creating them. I love watching my kids play in them. I love all the things that kids can learn from them. I love just about everything about them, except for having to clean them up. 🙂
Last month I created a fall sensory bin. That bin used lentils as the base material. Because I like to switch up the main material as I create new bins, I wanted to create this Christmas sensory bin using a base of rice.
I decided to make the bin look like a winter scene. So I used white rice and some rice I had dyed green rice for the base – white to look like snow and green to look like the forest floor. I added scented pine cones and cloves throughout to give the sensory bin an olfactory dimension. And I sprinkled little bells throughout to give the bin an auditory dimension. In this way, the sensory bin touched on four of the five of the main senses (tactile, visual, olfactory, auditory, leaving out only taste).
Then in the green “forest” part, I added beads shaped like Christmas lights.
And in the white “snow” part I added tiny pine trees and mini wrapped gifts.
Finally, I added a Santa figurine. Just because. 🙂
I can’t wait to watch my kids explore this bin!
* Please note that my kids are well past the age of putting things in their mouths. Most of the materials I used in my Christmas sensory bin would not be appropriate for babies or young toddlers who like to put things in their mouths.
More Christmas resources
More Christmas posts from Gift of Curiosity:
- Grow a Christmas tree sponge
- Christmas Montessori activities
- Q-tip painted Christmas tree
- Paper plate reindeer craft
- Cinnamon Christmas ornaments
- Candy cane experiment
- Christmas game: What’s in the bag?
- Christmas Printables Pack
- Christmas Bingo
- Christmas do-a-dot printables
- Christmas gingerbread man templates
For more Christmas activities your kids will love, see my Christmas Activities for Kids page and my Christmas Activities for Kids Pinterest board.Â
Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Christmas Activities for Kids on Pinterest.
This is a gorgeous bin, my girls would love it.
Hmmm, what could you use for taste? I’ve been adding a taste element to our sensory bins lately and it’s great. I added red hots to our Fall-o-ween box. I’m thinking mini peppermint sticks might be fun for this box.
Your sensory bin is so cute! I love the little miniatures. I’m sure your kids loved it. Stopping by to say hi from the Super Link Party!
Oh, what a fun looking bin!! I love using the cloves! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
Great bin! I’ll be featuring this tomorrow on The Sunday Showcase.
What a wonderful combination between the green and white and so much thought put into the bin.
Thank you so much for linking up to Tuesday Tots this week and wishing you a Merry Christmas and a Happy 2013