Lets talk about sensory play

Are you thinking about incorporating sensory play into your family child care program?  Sensory bins are a great way to start but it can seem incredibly overwhelming. There are so many questions! Where do you get all those supplies? What about the bins? What activities should I do? I'm here to tell you that it is incredibly simple once you understand how to set them up, but let’s start with the basics.

What is sensory play and why should you incorporate it into your program?

In simple terms it is a tactile learning experience.  Sensory play is providing children with opportunities to explore and interact with a variety of materials that stimulate their senses.  It is open-ended, hands on, immersive and most important FUN!

Sensory play is a powerful teaching tool for our little learner in their early years of development.  We all know that play is the most valuable way to learn and there are so many benefits to sensory play!  It can promote fine motor skills, stimulate language development, increase cognitive skills, and improve social and emotional skills.   When children engage in sensory play, they are learning through curiosity, exploration, creativity, and problem-solving.

An easy way to incorporate sensory play into your own program are sensory bins.  A sensory bin is a tactile, hands-on learning experience contained in spaces such as a simple container like a plastic storage container or it can be an actual sensory table. Sensory bins are a great way to get the benefits of sensory play without a big mess!  They offer a hands-on way for our little learners to explore their world using their hands and senses!   They also give opportunities to explore the world through different materials and fillers and textures.  One of my favorite things about sensory play is it can be very calming.  There is something very soothing about running your hands through a bin full of rice.  There are many days you will find me running my hands through the sensory bin to calm myself!

In my own classroom, I have variety of sensory bins and can have multiple sensory activities out daily.  I have shallow trays, small plastic tubs, small sensory table, large sensory tub and a tuff tray.  When thinking of containers for your sensory bins, you want something that is big enough for students to get their hands in and play without the filler materials falling out.   Just think about your classroom and the space you have and pick an appropriate size container!

Once you have a container it’s time to choose a filler!  This is the fun stuff you put inside your bin before adding any tools. Honestly the options are endless! There are so many different things you can use. Use your imagination and see what you can come up with! Consider new textures your children may not have a lot of experience with OR choose ones you know they love. 

Here are a few of my favorite fillers:

Sand

Water

Ice

Aquarium Rock

Corn

Dried Pasta

Rice

Chickpeas

Shredded Paper

Pom Poms

Wood Pellets

After you have your bins and fillers, it's time to move onto tools.  I am constantly on the lookout for tools, things like funnels, scoops, bowls, measuring cups, tongs, jars the list goes on and on. The good news is that a lot of these can be found at the dollar store, thrift stores or garage sales.  Don’t forget to ask you families for donations after they have cleaned out their cabinets.  There is no need to spend a lot of money!

Now let talk about storage.  The great thing about most of the materials is they can be used over and over again. Storage can be a little tricky, you want to make sure your fillers are sealed up and kept in a safe from bugs and other critters.   I use airtight clear plastic containers so it’s easy for me to store on a shelf in the closet for easy access the next time I need it.  You need to figure out what works for your needs. 

Last but not least lets talk about the mess!  There will no doubt be a mess here and there but don’t let this stop you from sensory play.  When you are introducing sensory bins, set up exceptions and procedures.  Your little learners are capable of learning to clean up after themselves.  In my own classroom we have a little chat each time we have a new filler, they know that there are rules, example we do not throw the rice.  Just have a plan if there is a mess!  I have a handheld vacuum that the children can ask to use to help them with clean up.  For you it may have a small dush pan and brush.  The mess is just part of the process!

Sensory bins are such an amazing activity for our young learners! They have an array of benefits as children get to explore all their senses as they play.  To wrap up my best advice it to keep it simple, you will be less likely get overwhelmed and have FUN!