Easter is just around the corner, which is so exciting, because that means SPRING is right around the corner!
I’m so ready to say goodbye to winter and welcome warm sunny days, green grass, and colorful flowers!
With the hope of spring arriving soon (and in honor of Easter!), I put together this “Eggs in the Grass” sensory bin.
(I know it’s not eggs and that it’s not real grass, but do me a favor and try to use a little imagination, please!)
One of the things I love about sensory bins is that there are so many ways to play with them. And because they’re so open ended, there is no right or wrong way to play!
It’s OK if your kids play differently from mine. And it’s OK if you don’t have all the same tools we used. Let your kids explore the sensory bin without trying to control their exploration (other than to correct undesired behavior!).
How to Make an Eggs in the Grass Sensory Bin
I like following this formula to make most of my sensory bins: base filler + interesting items + tools.
(For more info on sensory bins, check out my beginner’s guide here.)
Today’s Eggs in the Grass bin is Easter-themed, but you could make it fit whatever theme you need by changing the colors, swapping out the “interesting items” or base filler.
To make this sensory bin, I used
- green dyed rice
- colorful pom poms
- bowls, bottles, tongs, and scoops
Making dyed rice is really simple. In a large glass or stainless steel bowl, mix uncooked white rice with several drops of food coloring and a couple teaspoons of white vinegar. (Detailed instructions can be found here.)
Once the rice was dry, I poured it into a medium-sized plastic bin and topped it with a few handfuls of pom poms.
That bin went inside another larger, low-sided bin. I set out some colorful bowls, a clear plastic bottle, a clear plastic funnel (cut the top off a plastic bottle), tongs, and scoops.
How We Played (& LEarned!) with This Sensory Bin
Here’s a few ways Lia (18 months) played with our Easter pom poms and rice sensory bin.
She set the plastic funnel on top of the clear bottle and scooped rice and pom poms in.
Sometimes the pom poms blocked the opening of the funnel. Lia used her problem-solving skills to figure out that she had to manually poke the pom poms through to keep the rice flowing.
When the bottle was full, Lia dumped out the contents and was mesmerized by the falling rice.
Turning the funnel upside-down was a fun fine motor game, too! The clear funnel made it easy to see how many pom poms were inside. To get them back out, Lia just had to lift the funnel.
Elena (my 3-year-old) also got to play with the sensory bin later in the day. She’s the sorter. She absolutely loves sorting colors, so finally, those bowls were put to good use!
Your Turn to Make an Easter Sensory Bin
This sensory bin kept my kids happy and busy playing for several days. They practiced lots of fine motor and problem solving skills as they played. I hope this activity helps you entertain and teach your kids, too!
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