Sensory Bin Challenge: Corn!

By -
This is a super easy, amazingly engaging, inexpensive, fall-themed sensory bin that your preschoolers will love!


If you have not taken the plunge into sensory bins, this is a fantastic place to start.  Corn is easy to get and the kids love the texture!  When I put out the bin full of corn, the first thing our preschoolers did was run their fingers through the corn...over and over!


They seriously loved the texture and the way it fell through their fingers.  Then, of course, they had to see how it fell on their arms and feet too:


Pretty soon, though, they wanted to get "tools."  Our preschoolers took to the kitchen and pulled out spoons, ladles, spatulas, and several other kitchen tools to make their sensory bin a regular kitchen work box!


Even the one-year olds pulled out little buckets to put handfuls of corn in!


I had to laugh when my daughter wanted to use a spoon to see if she could catapult the corn through the air!



Sensory bins can have a calming effect on children and can help ease difficult transitions.  Research also shows that sensory activities can actually build synapses between neurons in the brain, help kiddos develop cognitively, and strengthen problem solving skills,  I have found sensory activities particularly engaging for children with sensory processing and attention issues.  I have seen these kiddos spend more time in a sensory bin than in almost any other activity.

The monthly Sensory Bin Challenge is organized by the wonderful Little Bins for Little Hands.  It is easy to do, and has such rich rewards.  Simply set out a bucket with the monthly filler (this month is corn) and let your kiddos do the rest.  Sometimes the kids add toys, tools, or other props.  Sometimes they don't.  Either way is fine--this is their chance to explore.  


I love how you can use it as an afternoon activity, a transition, a "busy box" while you fix dinner, or anything in between!  

So what do you think?  Will you join us for the monthly sensory bin challenge?  Do you use sensory bins?  Do you have any questions about them?  

Be sure to check out these other bloggers who are sharing their experiences with the Corn Sensory Bin Challenge! 





I may share at any of these parties!



Never miss another post again!  Sign up for our weekly updates newsletter and get links to all our posts once a week in your inbox!  Sign up here!!


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Science Experiment: Elephant Toothpaste

By -
Image
Update: "Elephant toothpaste" is a science experiment that I used to do with my high school students.  It is a strong multi-sensory demonstration that goes great with a lot of chemistry concepts. It is also very popular with preschoolers and homeschoolers!  The internet loves it too! It has now been read by more than 3.9 million people! This was the post that started the trend on science activity sites across the internet and "irl!"  Thank you for being here...I hope you enjoy it as well!  💕  This exciting science experiment works great in a discussion on reactions, as a demonstration, or as an actual experiment. We've also done seasonal twists with "elephant toothpaste" like making it in a pumpkin and using it for " reindeer toothpaste !" To use it as a science project, perform it once with your child, then ask your child what might happen if you changed the amounts or left out an ingredient.  Any time you experiment...
Read more

Kind Words Sensory Lesson Friendship Activity

By -
Image
This sensory lesson includes a kindness activity for kids that is short and sweet,  and makes teaching kindness a beautiful thing! Learning to use kind words with our friends is one friendship lesson that I think we can never cover enough...kids always need reminding (sometimes adults do too)!  You will need these simple supplies for the kindness activity: cotton balls, course sandpaper, cup, Should I Share My Ice-Cream by Mo Willems Directly teaching good friendship skills, like using kind words, serves two purposes: 1- You can refer to the lesson when someone forgets or needs reminding, and 2- These skills are not intuitive for all preschoolers. This is a perfect age to bring empathy and kindness to their attention and help them cultivate these skills! You can use this lesson plan exactly as I did it with our kiddos, or adapt it to fit your group! 1- Read  Should I Share My Ice-Cream  by Mo Willems.   {Image below is an Amazon Affi...
Read more

Crazy Cool Giraffe Science Experiment

By -
Image
Do you know what color giraffe skin is? Today we're using a capillary action science experiment to make our own giraffe skins in this fun giraffe science experiment project! (Read on...I'll tell you the color in a moment! AND I have a few more fun giraffe facts at the end! Anyway, go on and make a guess before you see the answer!) Fun Spot  Giraffe  Fact:  There are four different giraffe species:  the Masai Giraffe, the Rothschild Giraffe, the Somali Giraffe, and the Nigerian Giraffe.  Each has its own unique spot pattern.  Even more unique, every single individual giraffe has a different spot design.  Just like fingerprints on people and stripes on a zebra, spots on a giraffe are unique in every individual! Giraffe skin is mostly grey. (Were you right?) It's also really tough and thick.  The coat is a shade of tan with brown spots or patches.  Male giraffes actually get darker as they get older! To make our "giraffe ...
Read more