Summer Sensory Bin

Immerse your child in the essence of sun-kissed days, tropical vibes and playful fun as we combine kinetic sand, flamingo stir sticks and lei flowers to create an enchanting Summer Sensory Bin. Get your child ready to embark on a journey of creativity and exploration that captures the spirit of the sunny season through fun sensory bins.

Its unique properties make it perfect for shaping and sculpting, encouraging imaginative play and creativity.

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As you approach our Summer Sensory Bin, your child will be greeted by the soft, velvety texture of kinetic sand.

They can dip their hands into this magical material and feel it effortlessly molding and flowing through their fingers, offering a sensory treat for their sense of touch.

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It’s the perfect way to tie in the season to your Summer activities!

Summer Sensory Bin Materials

Here’s what you’ll need for this fun sensory activity.

• Plastic container for sensory bin
• Kinetic sand
• Flamingo stir sticks
• Palm tree stir sticks
• Blue gems
• Scoops and spoons
• Small bowls
• Small cups
• Lei flowers
• Mini drink umbrellas

For scoops and spoons, you can use what you have in your home or classroom. But use these great ideas for sensory bin tools to keep the creativity going!

Just as important for creative sensory play are the Sensory Bin Tools you give your child to play with.

Directions for Creating Sensory Bin

Fill the bin with the sand. Leave a small section for the blue gems (represents water) and place the gems next to the sand. 

Add the scoops, spoons, and cups as well as the mini umbrellas and bowl with lei flowers. 

Add the flamingo and palm tree stirring sticks to the bin. 

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Invite your child to engage with the contents of the sensory bin. Observe how he/she uses the items in the bin. 

There are so many ways your child can get creative with this summer sensory bin!

The Summer Sensory Bin offers an opportunity to engage multiple senses and foster learning through play.

Children can develop fine motor skills as they shape and mold the kinetic sand, enhancing their dexterity and hand-eye coordination.

The sensory bin also invites exploration of colors, textures and imaginative storytelling, promoting cognitive development and creativity.

How to Encourage More Sensory Play

Playing with a summer sensory bin filled with kinetic sand and tropical-themed items can be a delightful and imaginative experience for children! Here are some extra ways to engage them in play:

Sensory Exploration: Encourage the child to explore the textures and colors of the items in the bin. They can feel the soft and moldable texture of the kinetic sand, touch the smooth surface of the lei flowers and experiment with opening and closing the drink umbrellas.

Pretend Play: Invite the child to engage in pretend play scenarios, such as setting up a tropical beach party or a Hawaiian luau. They can use the lei flowers as decorations, the flamingo stir sticks as characters and the drink umbrellas as props, enhancing their imaginative storytelling skills.

Sorting and Matching: Include different colored lei flowers or drink umbrellas and ask the child to sort and match them by color. This activity promotes color recognition and early math skills.

Counting and Math Games: Incorporate counting games by asking the child to count the number of lei flowers or drink umbrellas in the sensory bin. They can also perform simple addition or subtraction using the tropical-themed items.

Sensory Seek and Find: Hide small objects or treasures within the kinetic sand, and have the child search for them using their hands or a small sieve. This activity enhances tactile awareness and attention to detail.

Remember to provide supervision during play, especially with small items like drink umbrellas, to ensure a safe and enjoyable sensory experience.

These engaging activities foster creativity, fine motor skills, and cognitive development while immersing the child in a fun and summery sensory adventure.

More Summertime Sensory Fun!

Find a full host of activities in my Sensory Summer Series – full of summer sensory activities, crafts and ideas you can do with your kids over the summer break.

All that is needed is a bucket full of water and some sponges for some water sensory fun that cools down the kids.

Kids love playing in summer sensory soup – an activity so quick and easy to put together and provides lots of lovely opportunities to learn through play.

The next time you add some lemon to your water bottle, save some for this Summer Lemon Sensory Bin.

Want more sensory ideas? Be sure to check out our other fun sensory activities for kids!

Easy Summer Printable Activities

Get ready to bask in the sunshine and enjoy the excitement of summer!

• At Home Summer Camps
• Summer Activities Yoga Cards
• My Senses Summer Day Camp Program
• Summer Games Bingo
• Quick Match Summer Game
• Summer I Spy ‘Flip’ Board Game
• Summer Boredom Buster Challenge
• Summer Olympics Games
• Camp STEAM DIY Summer Camps
• Summer Puzzles
• Summer Camp at Home
• Yoga Summer Bundle

Let the summer adventures begin with these delightful Summer printable activities!