I love teaching concepts and skills using sensory bins! I love watching little ones learn with this engaging hands-on experience. Kids can grasp certain concepts a lot quicker when they can touch and explore with their hands. Once you try teaching with these sensory bins, you will find that these sensory activities are so beneficial in learning. It’s winter and time to create the perfect winter play sensory bin. I’m excited to show you how easy it is to create one. Including ideas for language art and math ideas using the Winter Sensory Bin.
Gather all things winter! Mini toys are perfect for learning manipulatives. Try to include different sizes and textures in your winter sensory bin. I love these mini porcupine balls, polar bear and penguin toys and round snowmen balls.
Grab some snowflake cups and dessert sized plates for the sorting, counting, and other learning activities. I love how the snowflake design coordinates with the winter theme.
In your plastic container, mix in the foam snowflake shapes and white pom-pom balls. Then you can add the winter manipulative toys for learning!
Now to share fun concepts you can teach with the winter sensory bin!
1) Guessing Game
Let a child hide something from the bin under the snowflake cup. Another child guesses what is hidden using questions. This will help them with their oral and communicative skills. They can also practice using words to describe an object. For older kids, they can ask “yes” or “no” questions.
2) Sensory Guessing Game
Let one child choose an object from the bin and place it in another child’s hand. They have to keep their eyes closed and using the sense of “touch,” try to guess which object they are holding.
3) Counting
Use the snowflake plates for this activity. Assign a number to teach plate. You can even write a number on the plate. Let the children add that many of objects to the plate. This helps to teach one-to-one correspondance in counting.
4) Snowflake Sorting
I love the variety of snowflake foam shapes. There are so many sizes, colors and shapes of snowflakes. This is a great activity for sorting. Have students sort the snowflakes by shape, size, color, etc.
5) Snowflake Patterns
Kids can try making differert patterns with the snowflake shapes. See how many they can make! Students can try making AB, ABC, AABB, etc. patterns with the snowflakes!
6) Build an Ice Castle for the Characters
This imaginative play make the winter sensory bin even more fun. Kids can create an ice castle with the snowflake paper cups. Let them imagine it is an ice castle for the winter characters. They will enjoy this imaginative play which is crucial for development and learning in small children.
7) Penguin Patterns
The Penguin characters are adorable. Making penguin patterns is another great idea for the winter sensory bin.
8) Sorting the Toys
Using the snowflake plates, children can sort the objects. They can sort by type of toy, color, size, etc.
9) Size
Let students place the manipulative in order from smallest to biggest, or biggest to smallest. They can practice using words that describe size. Place two objects side by side. Have students identify which one is bigger or smaller.
10) Talk about Winter Activities
While playing with this sensory bin, its fun to ask students questions, and give them time to respond. This helps them to develop oral and listening skills as they take turns sharing and listening to others tell their stories. For this winter sensory bin, a great coversation starter is to allow each kid to share their favorite winter activity. It’s so fun to hear what they have to say!
