A Sensory Experience is: open ended.
There is no specific or correct way to engage with the materials in a sensory bin. The child may use fingers to touch and play with the materials or explore the use of tools. When animal toys or tools are provided for use in a sensory bin, there is not expectation for realistic or dramatic usage. A lot of the material is going to end up on the floor, especially with younger children. The only correction appropriate in a sensory experience is to prevent the child from consuming the material if it is not safe for consumption. For infants and toddlers, you should carefully consider any material before offering it to the child for exploration.
A Sensory Bin: makes loose sensory materials accessible to the child.
It should be short enough for the child to see and reach the material comfortably (not hanging by their armpits). It should be wide enough for the child to move their arms back and forth comfortably during exploration. It should be located over flooring that is easy to sweep, and a brush & dust pan set should be kept at hand for easy cleaning. If the flooring is slippery when wet, a dry towel should be kept nearby (or underneath) during water play.
It’s been nearly impossible in the past to find a large wood-framed free-standing sensory table for under $200. This Uiifan option offers two decent-sized pine wood sensory tables currently priced at $130, though I cannot speak to the quality of the product. This Birasil option presents a sensory table with a sturdy fir wood frame and lid for $150. As a handy person, I have absolutely considered finding the right sized bin and simply building a sturdy frame for it myself.
The flexible setup I currently love is having one large wide bin from Target set up on the patio table (or kitchen counter) with a toddler tower. When we’re done using it, we can cover it with the lid and put it away.
Loose Materials:
From the Kitchen:
Lentils*
Beans*
Sunflower seeds
Pumpkin seeds
Corn kernels
Rice
Wild rice
Coffee beans
Herbs
Citrus peels
Avocado peels or pits
Corn husks
Whole oats
Quinoa
From Outdoors:
Dandelion fluff
Flowers
Leaves
Twigs
Bark from fallen logs**
Grasses
Pinecones
Sand
Soil
Rocks
From the World:
Natural Feathers**
Cracked corn (animal feed)
Timothy Hay (animal feed)
Bird seed
Tools:
Spoons
Cups
Measuring cups
Bowls
Sifters
Scoops
Rakes
Sensory Tubes: (Recommended wide-mouth bottles)
Mineral oil and Water
Rain tube: 95% Mineral oil, 5% water (one cotton ball optional)
Soap and Water (fill half way for lots of bubbles)
Pebbles in water (Sinking)
Twigs or wood chips in water (Floating)
Shower Gel (Viscosity)
Dry beans, lentils, or rice (sound)
Ocean Animals in water
Bee Hive (beige tulle and bee lifecycle figures)
Butterfly Life Cycle (green tulle and butterfly lifecycle figures)
Tadpoles (light blue tulle and frog lifecycle figures)
Scent Tubes – Cotton balls with essential oils, powdered spices, or flavor extracts. You can use test tubes with punctured screw caps or old Fiji water bottles with punctured caps. Try garlic, lemon, cinnamon, vanilla, coffee, curry, and mint for variety!
* Some raw materials are toxic to children if consumed. Be sure that all items used are developmentally appropriate and safe for the children you’re working with.
** Be conscientious when sourcing material. Many bird feathers are illegal to collect from the wild and may also contain parasites. Removing bark from living trees causes significant damage to the tree.
Nature In Your Nurture 