Farm Sensory Bin

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Sensory bins are a fantastic way to help young kids improve their fine motor skills. They are also a great way to use their five senses and explore different textures and materials. Create this farm sensory bin for your kids and watch them have fun playing with the different objects.

Farm Sensory Bin

Materials Needed to Make a Farm Sensory Bin

Making sensory bins is pretty simple. Just use a combination of dried food or small objects and then toss in some objects to scoop with or figurines to play with. Kids go crazy for a new sensory bin. Here’s what you need to make a farm-themed sensory bin:

  • Farm animals – I got mine at Walmart, but you can find them online! The Dollar Tree even has them sometimes.
  • Colored Rice – green – see how we color our rice HERE
  • Dried Black beans
  • Corn Kernels
  • Tray

Use this sensory bin after reading or singing Old MacDonald and let kids play with the different animals on their own farm. Tuck this simple farm away for future play times as long as the contents hold up.

Farm Sensory Bin

How to Assemble Your Sensory Tray

I love having a sensory bin on hand as the new seasons roll around. The kids are usually interested in it for a week or two, and then it sits on a shelf. If you have the space, keep each sensory bin in a closed container and tuck it away to pull out another time. Each time you bring them out from hiding, the kids will enjoy them like new all over again.

To put this sensory bin together, follow these step-by-step instructions.

  1. First, put down green-colored rice in one half of your bin.
  2. Then, lay down your black beans in one corner and the corn kernels in another.
  3. Finally, add your plastic animals and any other objects you found.

We found a plastic fence so the kids could make little pens for each animal. Add trees, bushes, flowers, a barn, and anything else you can find that goes in a farm animal sensory bin.

Farm Sensory Bin

How to Color Rice

Coloring rice is pretty easy! You just need rice, paint, and a Ziploc bag. I just put rice in the bag with a few drops of paint and shake it around. The most important part of coloring rice is to ensure it dries completely before the kids start playing with it. If it’s nice outside, let it sit in the sun to dry. I lay mine out on covered baking sheets in a single layer for quicker drying.

You can read more about Coloring Rice in this blog post.

What Age Can You Use a Sensory Bin?

A sensory bin holds the attention span of children aged 12 months to 12 years, depending on what’s inside. Oftentimes, a sensory bin is a fun way to level the playing field among kids of varying ages. If you have multiple kids, set out a sensory bin or two and watch them play contentedly.

Farm Sensory Bin

What is a Sensory Bin Good For?

Sensory bins are super fun hand tools that allow children to play with and explore their world through their senses. They are great for calming kids down when they are overstimulated or upset. They help focus and engage children as well. Kids will be engrossed in using their senses of touch, sight, hearing, and sometimes smell and taste.

Sensory bins have also been used across the board by therapists to promote social skills. The kids may have to use questions and answers to interact with other children, thus improving their language development. It’s an easy way to get kids talking and the perfect time to practice different farm animal noises.

Farm Sensory Bin

What Items Go In a Sensory Bin?

There are so many things that can go inside a sensory bin, but here are some popular items you might find:

  • dry rice
  • beans
  • pasta
  • popcorn kernels
  • sand
  • cotton balls
  • shreds of paper
  • crinkle grass
  • corn meal
  • chia seeds
  • kinetic sand
  • feathers
  • leaves
  • beads
  • birdseed
  • packing peanuts
  • gardening soil

All of these items lend themselves to pretend play and fun sensory activities in the home or the preschool classroom. Create your own sensory tray using any items you can find at the supercenter or craft store. Get creative, and then watch your kids explore a little bit.

Want more sensory bin ideas? Check out these easy bins:

I hope your kids love this fun farm sensory bin. It’s such a simple activity to have on hand for rainy days or while learning about the farm.

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