I absolutely love the colors of fall, even if it means another cold Canadian winter isn't too far behind. As it is, our fall season is usually pretty short since the snow falls so early. But fall is officially here (even if it's only for a brief moment). And so are the lovely fall colors.
I put together this simple fall sensory bin for kids as a way to capture those fall colors without bringing on cooler temperatures (hopefully!). The end result is so pretty!
Plus, this sensory bin was really easy to put together. It's basically a dump and play style sensory bin. It also uses inexpensive materials from the dollar store paired with items from your kitchen.
A version of this post originally appeared on the CBC Parents website.
What You'll Need for this Fall Sensory Bin
For this lovely autumn inspired sensory bin, we used:
- Popcorn kernels - How much you need will depend on the size of your container.
- Felt leaves - I found these at Dollar Tree.
- Acrylic leaves table scatter - I found these at Michael's. They can usually be found with the seasonal items or in the vase filler aisle. I've also since spotted similar at Dollarama.
- Fake maple leaves - I found these at Dollarama. They look pretty realistic.
- Measuring cups & spoons (optional) - I always like to include kitchen tools in sensory bins for a little extra fine motor skills practice. Feel free to use whatever you have on hand, whether that's measuring cups, scoops, or spoons.
Add the popcorn kernels to a plastic container. Then scatter the various leaves on top. The finished sensory bin should look something like this:
Exploring this Colorful Autumn Sensory Bin
Surprisingly, we've never used popcorn kernels for a sensory bin filler before. Needless to say, my boys were quite intrigued to play with them. And, with plenty of different textures to explore and a variety of colors in this sensory bin, it's a wonderful sensory experience for little hands.
By adding scoops and spoons, you'll also be encouraging lots of fine motor development too! They did lots of scooping, pouring, and dumping - all great for strengthening those fine motor skills!
Using measuring cups in a sensory bin is also a good way to explore math concepts like volume, measurement, and counting. For instance, as my boys were scooping the popcorn kernels, they counted how many scoops it would take to fill up a bigger measuring cup.
Your kids can also compare the different sizes, shapes, and colors of the leaves in this sensory bin. It's also a great opportunity to talk about the different textures and materials of the leaves. After all, we've got fabric, felt, and acrylic leaves in this fall bin.
I absolutely love how this fall sensory bin turned out. It definitely captures the beautiful colors of fall, but it also offers lots of hands-on learning. Most importantly, though, my boys had a blast playing with it!
