Rest assured that the sweet little hands you see in the bin are 100% American! I wanted to be as authentic as possible, so I want to be up front about the whole US thing!
Even though I’m Canadian, I wanted to have an example of something like this for my American friends and readers. This sensory bin would be great for your 4th of July celebrations. It imitates the USA flag.
Stars and Stripes Sensory Bin:
- popcorn kernels
- hand sanitizer
- blue food colouring
- white craft sand (or salt if you don’t have white sand)
- red card stock paper
- star confetti
- small glow in the dark stars
- paint brush
- plastic bin with lid
- scissors
- resealable plastic bag
- Place 1/2 a cup of unpopped popcorn kernels, 2 generous drops of hand sanitizer and several drops of blue food colouring in a resealable plastic bag and seal.
- Shake well.
- Allow the kernels to dry in the bag overnight or spread them out on a paper towel on a cookie sheet to dry for several hours.
- Cut a sheet of red card stock so that it fits inside the bin. Place it in the bottom of the bin.
- Pour white craft sand (or salt) over the red paper.
- In the upper left section, pour the blue dyed popcorn kernels.
- Add a paint brush and an assortment of stars.
- Invite your child to brush some of the sand away to create the stripes.
- Encourage your child to add the stars to the area where the popcorn kernels are.
- When not in use, replace the lid on the bin for easy storage for future play!
This patriotic sensory play activity is also a good way to talk to kids about the American flag and its history. You can read a book such as F is for Flag together. 
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Check out these other fun Summer sensory bins:
Not all sensory bins are created equal. While just plunking a few items in a bin will still result in your child enjoying some sensory input and play, there are ways that you can create sensory bins your child will love.
The pasta looks so much like little butterflies that the other butterflies in this sensory bin blend in with it. The kids enjoyed exploring with this activity.
One of our daughters took her time examining the butterflies with the magnifying glass while commenting on their features. She also enjoyed squishing the silicone stamps and foam piece.
Raise your own butterflies. We did this one summer and the kids were absolutely fascinated. You can purchase 
The kids got older. I still saw the need for a sensory room. I knew that if I didn’t create one now, they would soon be grown. That prompted my decision to use a storage closet as the space. I began planning how I could make things myself instead of purchasing expensive equipment.
(photos courtesy of Shelley of 
I placed a bean bag chair under the fibre optic light curtain and a mermaid pillow on top of the bean bag chair. I also have a few “brain friendly” books sitting there in case one of the kids wants to read while they are in the calm down corner. 
There is a long mirror across from that corner. This is for two reasons. The first is that the room used to be a storage closet so it’s very small and the mirror helps it feel bigger. The second is that kids can use the mirror to monitor their breathing and facial expressions which can help them to self-regulate.
The box contains all kinds of fidgets including pencil toppers, 
On the felt board, I put the words “In Through Your Nose Out Through Your Mouth” as a reminder for my kids to do their 
