Why Preschoolers Should Use Sensory Bins

Have you ever made a sensory bin for your preschool aged children? I love to use sensory bins with our preschoolers because they provide a fun and interactive way for little ones to explore the world around them using their senses. Before we dive into all the fun sensory bins you can put together for your children, let’s take a moment to talk about what a sensory bin actually is…

What is a Sensory Bin?

A sensory bin is a container filled with materials that are designed to engage your child’s senses. It provides opportunities to engage your child’s senses of sight, touch, sound, and sometimes even smell! The best part is that you can use sensory bins as a tool for sensory play and learning, while providing opportunities to explore, discover, and experiment with different textures, colors, shapes, and materials.

Why should preschool aged children use sensory bins?

Sensory bins are excellent for preschoolers because they provide an engaging and interactive way for children to explore and learn about the environment around them. When children engage in sensory play, it helps to stimulate their senses, which is important for children’s brain development and can enhance their cognitive, social-emotional, and physical development.

What are some of the benefits of using sensory bins?

• Fine Motor Skill Development: Sensory play involves using small muscles in the hands and fingers, which helps to develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.

• Hands-On Exploratory Play: Sensory bins provide children with a hands-on way to explore and discover different textures, colors, and materials, which can help foster their curiosity and creativity.

• Language Development: As children play with sensory bins, they often describe the different sensations they are experiencing, which can help to develop their language skills and vocabulary.

• Problem-Solving Skills: Sensory play can help children develop problem-solving skills as they figure out how to manipulate and interact with different materials and objects in the bin.

• Self-Regulation and Emotional Regulation: Sensory play can be a calming and soothing activity for children, which can help them learn to regulate their emotions and manage stress.

Overall, sensory bins provide a fun and beneficial learning experience for preschoolers, and can help support their growth and development in various areas. Now, let’s get to work making some sensory bins!

Plan Sensory Bins for Toddlers

If you want to learn more about how to get started planning activities for your little ones, download my FREE guide for everything you need to know about planning sensory bins and the skill areas we incorporate into toddler school:

This post may contain Amazon affiliate links. I earn a small commission each time someone makes a purchase through one of my affiliate links, which helps to support The Primary Brain blog. As always, I only recommend products that I love and all ideas shared are my own.

Written on March 30th, 2023 by Laurin Brainard