My kids absolutely adore sensory play. And they especially enjoy it when I create a new sensory bin for them to explore. Since we are in the middle of our homeschool preschool insect unit, I wanted to put together an insect sensory bin for them to explore. In this post I’m sharing how I created our insect sensory bin and how my kids played with it. At the end of the post I’ve included links to several other insect-themed sensory bins from other bloggers.
Note: For more resources, printables and activities related to insects, please see my insects unit study page. And for more sensory bin ideas, check out my sensory play page.
This insect sensory bin was very simple to put together. I started with a base of black beans, then I added several silk flower petals and an insect on top of each petal. (I ordered the insects – which are actually finger puppets – from Oriental Trading Company.)
When I finally gave them a chance to play, XGirl immediately began scooping and pouring the beans. She absolutely loves this kind of practical life fine motor activity.
QBoy was enamored with a new set of tongs I included, and used them to pick up the beans and put them in a cup.
After some time exploring the beans, QBoy picked up two ladybugs and they began to have a conversation.
Later, he decided to pair up all the insects two by two.
And eventually, he decided to feed his bugs some of the beans.
I’m always amazed at how even a very simple sensory bin like this one – which literally took me only less than 10 minutes to put together – can keep my kids entertained for so long.
More insect learning resources
Insect printables from Gift of Curiosity:
- Insects Printables Pack
- Insects Do-a-Dot Printables
- Insects Anatomy Game
- Insects Grid Games
- Ant Printables Pack
- Ant 3-Part Cards
- Ant Do-a-Dot Printables
- Ladybug Do-a-Dot Printables
- Bee Do-a-Dot Printables
- Bee Sudoku
- Butterfly Do-a-Dot Printables
For more insect resources, activities, and printables, please see my Insects Unit Study page and my Insects Pinterest board.
Follow Katie @ Gift of Curiosity’s board Unit Ideas: Insects & Bugs on Pinterest.
Madison says
June 18, 2013 at 12:37 pmWhat a great idea for the kids. My 16 month old though would be trying to eat the beans. She’s still at that age where everything is still taste friendly. Thanks for sharing this great crafty idea.
Katie says
June 18, 2013 at 1:00 pmYes, this bin is definitely for kids who don’t put things in their mouths anymore!
Terra says
June 18, 2013 at 6:50 pmI wish I had thought to do this when my son was smaller. He would have loved it. I’ll have to remember to try it with my nephews 😉
Nicole Copeland says
June 18, 2013 at 7:26 pmSo neat..My daughter would love this idea!
Stephanie says
June 18, 2013 at 8:19 pmNeat idea! We did something like this with beads when Brady was young.
Tess says
June 20, 2013 at 4:57 amHow cool! I’ll have to try this with my daycare group.
Angela @ Teaching Mama says
June 22, 2013 at 6:46 amLooks great!!! And so much fun. Thanks for mentioning our sensory bin. Happy day to you!
Ashley says
June 23, 2013 at 11:58 amLove the bugs! Thanks for sharing at Mom’s Library!
Ashley says
June 26, 2013 at 5:03 amAdorable sensory bin! Featured your bogs on Mom’s Library this week!
Carrie says
June 28, 2013 at 4:42 pmSuch a fun bin!! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
Jennifer Fischer says
June 29, 2013 at 10:20 pmWhat a great bin. I would love to set this up for my boys using real grass! Our yard is has no grass, so having grass in a sensory bin would be very cool for them. I featured this at The Kid’s Co-Op this week. http://jennifischer.blogspot.com/2013/06/kids-co-op-eric-carle-activities-bug-fun.html