My oldest has had a special interest in traffic lights and intersections for quite some time. So, I thought it would be fun to make a sensory bin activity based on this particular interest.
My boys really enjoy water sensory bins or sensory soups as we like to call them. These types of activities often require little prep (just dump and go!), can be tailored to fit any child's interest (which in this case is traffic lights), and are inexpensive to put together (they use things you likely already have on hand).
So, if you're looking for a little transportation themed sensory bin or stop light activity, then you've got to try this traffic light sensory soup. It's really easy to make and tons of fun.
A version of this post originally appeared on the CBC Parents website.
What You'll Need for this Traffic Light Activity
There is a little bit of prep involved with this sensory bin, but not much. Regardless, here's what you'll need for this traffic light sensory soup:
- Water
- Craft foam in red, yellow, and green, cut into ~1" circles.
- Kitchen utensils (whisks, ladle, large spoon, measuring spoons, etc.)
- Bowl or pot (optional) - I always like to toss one in because it gives the kids somewhere to transfer materials or pour water into.
First, you'll have to cut the craft foam into little traffic lights. Simply cut them into approximately 1" circles using a pair of scissors. The foam circles don't have to be perfect by any means.
Once the circles are cut, simply toss them into some water in a plastic bin. Then add some kitchen utensils for scooping, pouring, and measuring. Then it's time to play!
Time to Play with the Traffic Light Sensory Soup!
As you'll see shortly, this sensory bin offers lots of learning opportunities. You can stick the foam circles to the side of the bin, work on color names, sort, count...you name it!
The first thing my boys did was to sort the foam circles by color by adding only the yellow ones (or red or green) to the bowl. While they're sorting the colored circles, you can help name the colors or model language like "It's yellow!" You can also reinforce the concepts of stop, go, and slow down with the different colors. Additionally, you could help your kids count the circles as they're added to the bowl.
Then my boys moved on to their favorite thing to do with sensory soups: scooping and pouring! They would use the different kitchen utensils to scoop and pour the water into the bowl. Then dump the bowl and repeat. Adding kitchen utensils to sensory bins like this one are such a great and easy way to encourage some fine motor skills practice.
Next, the kids ditched the utensils and opted for some good old splashing around in the water, which is a perfect way to keep cool on a hot day.
And that's it for our traffic light sensory soup bin. It's such a simple and engaging activity that provides lots of hands-on learning opportunities, from color learning to fine motor skills practice and concepts like stop, go, and slow down.
