Halloween Sensory Bin for Kids

This Halloween Sensory Bin is such a fun sensory activity for the kids! Add DIY colored rice, black beans, and festive creepy crawly toys and this will keep the little ones busy for awhile!

HALLOWEEN SENSORY BINS

My youngest son and daughter are big into sensory bins. These fun hands on experimental play bins can keep them busy for hours and since it’s created in a large bin or container the mess is typically contained well while they play on the dining room table or living room floor.  My daughter is in preschool this year and one of the things they are learning about is their senses.   

STIMULATE SENSES WITH FUN HALLOWEEN PLAY

This sensory bin is a great addition to what she is learning in the classroom and highlights a few learned senses:

• Sight: by the vidid colors and toy items they see. They can see the difference of the shape of the beans vs the rice. 
• Touch: the difference between the feel of rice and black beans or the toys themselves, some are hard, some are soft, some are squishy. 
• Hear: they can hear the different sounds the fillers make by scooping them or sprinkling them into buckets.
• While it may not be a “sense” these sensory bins promote imaginary play and development of motor skills for the littlest of ones. 

WHAT DO YOU NEED TO MAKE SENSORY BINS?

1. Plastic container: any plastic container will work. I prefer to pick up more shallow containers so you don’t need as many “fillers.”  You will want the container to be large enough that your child has room to play without making a mess. 
2. Fillers – this can be water beads, beans, rice, seeds, paper, etc. You just want something as a base with different textures.  Make sure if little ones are playing they are being supervised. While taste is a sense, we don’t necessarily want to stimulate that particular sense with this sensory bin. 🙂 
3. Toys: pick up age appropriate toys to add to your sensory bins. We often go to the Dollar stores to pick up festive toys to add to our bins. 
4. Utensils, Bowls, Plastic Cups: adding spoons and cups allows your child to fine tune their eye hand coordination and develop other skills. 

HOW TO MAKE COLORED RICE FOR SENSORY BIN:

1. Start by adding 1 cup of rice to a gallon size ziploc bag. 
2. Add 1 tsp of white vinegar to each bag.  
3. Add a few drops of food coloring. The more drops you add the more vibrant your rice will be. 
4. Close and shake the bag until the rice is fully colored. I like to leave a little bit of air in the bag before closing. Allows the rice to move easier.  Just make sure your bag is sealed. 🙂
5. Once all the rice has been colored pour it on a paper towel for a few hours or until dry. We don’t want stained colored hands 🙂

For more Halloween Ideas Try These: 

• Glow in the Dark Halloween Slime
• Halloween Trick or Treat Bags
• Halloween Tic Tac Toe