We love our sensory bins. Love. My husband made these great stands/tables (that’s a post for another day!) back when my oldest was just standing and all three have enjoyed them (and still do!). We’ve experimented with different materials…colored rice, pasta, water, bubbles, shaving cream, water beads, rocks, colored sand, you name it. Some things have been bigger hits than others, while some the kids love but make me cringe (the sound of the rice hitting the floor…ARG!). But by far the best when you balance ease and mess and price and age range* has been…POM POMS!

The best part is that since it isn’t messy and is super light weight (unlike sand or water or rocks!), I just throw them in a clear plastic bin and they can play with them anywhere – on the coffee table or the floor or the dining room table, whatever. So that means you certainly don’t need a fancy, store bought sensory bin, you don’t even need a DIY table…just a plastic bin, really whatever size you want. And while they will spill out or get thrown, they’re super easy to pick up, we make a game of it. I threw in some paper cups and plastic spoons, and viola, a solid 30 minutes of entertainment for the kids!

Using the spoons to fill the cups is an excellent way to practice balance and motor skills. Even just picking up the teeny tiny ones is a great exercise for littles. My older son likes to use the spoon to “catapult” them into cups…a really great way to introduce physics! We also love to sort by color or size, use them to practice math (counting, addition, and subtraction), make patterns, play pretend (usually they serve me different flavored “ice cream”), or just dig around in them…they feel so soft!

Hope you enjoy!!!

*I would just be extra watchful around littles who like to put things in their mouth because these could certainly be a choking hazard! All of my kids have tried a little “taste” and not liked the fuzz in their mouth, so it hasn’t been a problem, but it’s certainly something about which to be careful.