Stuck inside on a rainy day? Put together a DIY sensory bin!
Baby’s senses are how she learns about the world, and sensory bins are activities designed to give her new and exciting sensory experiences to explore. To make your own, choose a large, plastic container and fill it up with some of Baby’s favorite. You might also decide to use dry rice or pasta as a base filler to encourage her to explore texture.
Next, grab some toys that will keep her focus and concentration. Keeping toys that have a variety of different textures, like plastic farm animals and soft pompoms, will keep her focus for longer. When she is exploring the bin, you can talk with her about how each object feels. You can also work on her receptive language skills by asking her to find a requested object.
Sensory bins give children the opportunity for self-directed play, and as children get older, there are ways for activities in sensory bins to grow and expand with them, from archeology lessons to early adventures in cooking.