The Chaos and the Clutter -

Over 100 Sensory Bin Themes

I always find that it’s easier to come up with creative sensory bins if I choose a theme. If you are a teacher or homeschooler, it is nice to have sensory play that corresponds to the current unit study. For these reasons, I’ve compiled a list of sensory bin themes.It’s easier to spark your creativity when you have a head start. These sensory bin themes will give you the inspiration and ideas to create your own! You’ll find things for toddlers, preschoolers, and beyond.

You can find examples of sensory bins for each theme by clicking on the link.

Sensory Bin Themes:

Seasons

Science

Some of the animal sensory bins could work as science units also.

Animals

Sensory Bins Based on Books

Alphabet and Reading

Social Studies

Math

Holidays

Other Sensory Bin Themes

This list includes every theme you can imagine (and some you never would!) from A to Z.

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Dig for Fossils Sensory Bin

By Sharla Kostelyk

Kids will love to dig and explore in this dinosaur fossils sensory bin. It’s great for fine motor practise as well as supplementing science learning. It pairs well with a dinosaur unit. There are a variety of textures for kids to explore in this sensory play activity because of the grittiness of the sand, the smoothness of the glass beads, and the rough dinosaur skulls. This provides great tactile input. The bin also allows for visual and proprioception sensory feedback.

Dig for Fossils Sensory Bin:

Supplies:

sand
plastic bin with lid
dinosaur skull fossils Toob
glass beads
decorative rocks
paint brush
tongs, plastic shovel or anything else your child can use to practice fine motor skills and excavate dinosaur skulls with
optional: magnifying glass

Dinosaur Skulls TOOB Glass Beads Natural Sand

Directions:

Fill a plastic storage bin about halfway up with sand.
Begin adding the rocks, glass beads and dinosaur skulls to the bin.
Bury them in the sand.
Add a few dinosaur skulls to the top and loosely bury them in the sand.
Place tongs, a paint brush and sand toys in the bin.
Invite your child to explore the sensory bin and excavate the contents.
When playtime is over, replace the lid on the bin and give it a good shake so that the next time your child wants to explore the bin, the contents are buried in the sand again!

Learning opportunities:

If you want to expand the learning, you can set out a few books about dinosaurs and dinosaur fossils. This will allow your child to compare the dino skulls with the pictures in the books and determine which type of dinosaur it is.

You can also put out a book about excavation. Children can learn how archeologists uncover their finds. They can then mimic some of what they’ve learned in the excavation sensory bin.

Kids can dig with their hands or with the shovel or scoops. They can use the paintbrush to carefully brush sand off the fossils. The tongs can be used to examine things more closely. You can also include a magnifying glass for closer inspection of the fossils. Check out these other sensory bins:

Dinosaur Sensory Bin Citrus Sensory Bin History Sensory Bin

Dino-riffic Dinosaur Slime

By Sharla Kostelyk

This super fun dinosaur slime makes a perfect party favour. It’s going to be a favourite among kids. The neon green, the stretchy slime, and the dinosaurs all go together to create great sensory play.

Dinosaur Slime Recipe:

Supplies:

½ cup clear Elmer’s School Glue
½ cup of water
½ cup of liquid starch
neon green food colouring paste
plastic dinosaur figures

Elmer’s Clear School Glue Small Dinosaur Toys Purex Sta-Flo Liquid Starch

Directions:

Pour the water and clear Elmer’s glue into a mixing bowl. Combine well.
Next, add in the food colouring and stir.
Mix the water, glue and additives together well.
Pour in your liquid starch and stir well for at least 30 seconds.
Your slime mixture should start pulling away at the sides of your bowl when mixing. This is when you can start kneading it in your hands to see if it’s a texture you like. It should become a pliable slime ball.
It’s now ready to pull out of your bowl and place on a clean, flat surface.
Your slime is ready to play with. Add in your dinosaur figures.
Enjoy playing with your slime!

Notes:

The kids can help mix the glue, water and add ins. However, I recommend that an adult or older child handle the liquid starch stage of the recipe.

This makes a sticky slime, but it stretches well. If you want it to be less sticky, you can add in more of the liquid starch. The more starch you add, the less sticky it becomes. It will also become more rigid though, and more likely to break than to stretch. Always supervise young children when playing with slime or with any sensory play activity. Do not allow kids to eat slime. Although it is a fun science experiment, it should be handled with care and with adult supervision.

Dinosaur Themed Slime Party Favours:

This slime makes an adorable party favour. If you’re having a Dinosaur Birthday Party, you can either make these up ahead to include in the treat bags or you can make them with the kids at the party. Each child can take the one they make home with them.

Read about how to make slime with a large group by setting up slime stations here.

Use small jars with lids such as baby food jars. Fill the jars with a plastic dinosaur toy and slime. As an extra special touch, you can attach a plastic dinosaur to the lid with hot glue. Allow the glue to dry before screwing on the lid. If you’d like, you can also personalize the favours by writing each child’s name on the jar in permanent marker or by decorating the jar with dinosaur stickers that the child chooses. Join me for a free 5 part email series, Sensory Solutions and Activities (just put your email into the box below) and get a printable list of 175 great Sensory Ideas.

Check out some of our other fun slime recipes:

Lion King Inspired Slime Minnie Mouse Slime Unicorn Fluffy Slime

Seashell Fossils in Playdough

By Sharla Kostelyk

This simple seashell fossils in playdough activity is easy to set up and fun for kids. It includes opportunities for hands-on learning as well as sensory play. Use this activity after collecting shells at the beach on a vacation or pair it with an ocean unit study. You could also do this when studying fossils. It’s a great hands-on science activity.

Seashell Fossils Sensory Play:

Pressing the seashells into the playdough provides good proprioceptive sensory feedback. As does rolling out the playdough. If you use scented playdough, you can add olfactory sensory input.

There are contrasting textures and colours with the soft playdough and rough and hard seashells which engage the tactile and visual sensory systems.

How to make Seashell Fossils in Playdough:

Supplies needed:

playdough (homemade or purchased)
seashells
rolling pin

Instructions:

Set out the playdough, a rolling pin, and a variety of seashells.
Have your child roll make a ball with the playdough and roll it out using the rolling pin.
The seashells can then be pressed into the playdough.
Encourage your child to use the rolling pin or their fingers to press the seashells further into the playdough.
Invite your child to carefully peel the seashells out of the playdough. Observe the faux fossils that are now displayed where the seashells used to be.
For younger kids, you can also have them match the seashells that are now out of the playdough with their imprint.

Expand this activity:

Set out books about seashells for your child to discover which type of seashells are in front of them and what sea creatures used to live in them.
Talk about what true fossils are and how they are formed. Here are some resources to help you teach about fossils.

Curious About Fossils Where Do Fossils Come from?The Beachcomber’s Companion Seashells, Crabs and Sea Stars Sea Shells Mixed Beach Seashells Play-Doh Modeling Compound

Join thousands of others who have signed up for our Sensory Solutions and Activities email series and get a free sample from our Sensory Play Recipes eBook.

Some of our favourite homemade playdough recipes:

Calming Lavender Playdough

Peppermint Playdough

Snow Playdough

Understanding Emotions Birthday Party Printable Playdough Mats

By Sharla Kostelyk

This activity actually combines two things that I feel pretty passionately about: teaching kids about emotions and sensory play. These birthday party printable playdough mats depict common feelings kids are familiar with.

When you incorporate sensory play into learning, kids are better able to retain what they learn. Discussing emotions with them while having them shape playdough with their hands is such a good way to have them remember.

Kids can relate to the emotions they might feel while at a birthday party. The playdough mats each tell of a situation at a birthday party and the corresponding emotion.

You can use this opportunity to talk to your child not only about how they would feel if they were in that situation but what they would do. You can help guide them to the best possible response. Children who role play situations ahead of time have a better chance of choosing appropriate reaction in the actual situation.

How to use the Birthday Party Printable Playdough Mats:

To use these playdough mats, print them on paper or card stock. Laminate them or place each one into a plastic sleeve. Set them out along with some playdough. Allow your child to shape the playdough to fit inside the mats and also to create the facial expressions that correspond with each emotion. You can use store bought playdough or make your own. If you want to add a calming scent element to it, use our lavender playdough recipe. Create different colours by changing the food colouring in the recipes.

Discuss the emotions with your child. Help them express what they would feel in those situations.

Get your free printable playdough mats here and you’ll join thousands of others wanting to learn sensory solutions and activities.

Edible Shark Fluffy Slime

By Sharla Kostelyk

You’re going to love this shark themed edible fluffy slime. It’s fun to play with and taste safe, so it’s good for toddlers or preschoolers. It smells great too (like white chocolate)! This fluffy slime recipe goes well with a unit study on the ocean or is the perfect pairing for Shark Week. You could also use it for an Ocean or Shark themed party.

Edible Shark Fluffy Slime Recipe:

Slime ingredients:

1/3 cup white chocolate instant pudding mix
1 cup of cornstarch
blue food colouring
gummy sharks candy
1/3 cup water

How to make edible fluffy slime:

Empty the dry pudding mix pouch into a bowl. Add the cornstarch. Mix well.
Pour in the water and begin to stir quickly. There will be some clumps, but you can break them apart with your spoon.
Keep stirring and breaking the clumps. A crumbly dough will form. Add a few drops of blue food colouring so that you get just the shade you’re looking for.
As soon as the crumbly dough forms, press it and knead it until the slime forms.
If your mixture feels too dry and crumbly, continue to add a teaspoon of water at a time until you get the right consistency. If it feels too wet, sprinkle in equal parts of pudding mix and corn starch until it thickens up and becomes the desired consistency.
The more you stir or knead it, the better the consistency gets.
Finish this slime off with gummy sharks. You can mix them in or use them to top the slime. Of course, there may be a few of the candies that find their way into little mouths!

One of the nice things about edible slimes is that they are borax free. This makes them safe for all ages (though of course adult supervision should be used with this and all sensory play activities).

Taste Safe Slime Sensory benefits:

Slime is always a great sensory activity, but a taste safe slime allows even more sensory systems to be involved.

Visual – The soft blue of this slime is visually appealing.

Tactile – Little hands can touch this sensory play recipe. If you choose to add the shark gummy candies into it, it will add another texture element which is good for tactile input.

Gustatory (taste) – Since this is a taste safe slime recipe, it provides a great gustatory opportunities for licking and even biting and chewing. I wouldn’t recommend eating the whole thing though as it’s quite cornstarch-y. Olfactory (smell) – Sniffing fully allowed. This slime smells like white chocolate. Yum!

Proprioception – Involving the kids in the process of making the slime allows even more proprioceptive input as they knead, smash, and press. Pulling, scrunching, and stretching while playing with the slime also involves the proprioceptive system.

Looking for more awesome sensory play recipes for kids? You can grab a free sample chapter of our Sensory Play Recipes eBook here.

Check out some of our other slime recipes:

Unicorn Fluffy Slime

Minnie Mouse Inspired Slime

Mardi Gras Slime