I absolutely love creating sensory bins for Noah. They are the one thing that he will play with independently and they keep him occupied for quite some time. Sensory bins are also a great way to encourage creative play! The very first one that I created for Noah was a Trucks and Beans Sensory Bin. I put this bin together years ago and it has remained a favorite through both boys. As I’ve rotated toys in and out of our playroom over the past several years, this is one thing that has always remained. There’s no way they would let me take it down!
I eventually (with the help of my dad) created a sensory table for the bins. It’s a great place for him to stand to play and it allows me to very easily swap out the bins! Check out my Sensory Table post for details on how to cheaply create your own sensory table!
Here’s what I included in our trucks and beans sensory bin:
Three different colors of small, dried beans. (Just make sure they are small enough that the kiddos can’t choke on them). You can just grab whatever looks fun at the grocery store!
Tablespoon measuring spoon or other spoons/small bottles for scooping. (Our favorites are the OXO container scoops from the Container Store).
Trucks! Noah’s favorite trucks for this activity are the dump truck, digger, and cement truck!
He loves to fill the trucks with beans, dump them in a pile, and scoop and pour.
Such a good idea!!