I began seeing sensory bins on social media and at teacher training conferences a few years ago. Although I could see the fun in them, I didn’t see how the learning could really take place. It’s taken a lot of trial and error. It’s taken a lot of tweaking. But, I have figured out many ways now to highlight the learning while enjoying the fun of sensory bins. Today I’m sharing 3 simple ways to use a Valentine’s Day sensory bin.
The Filler
Sensory bin fillers don’t have to be expensive! This was by far one of the most simple fillers I have used. I simply cut up paper hearts. I did all shapes and sizes. The big hearts helped fill up the bin a little more, while the little ones filled in the holes and made it more fun to put your fingers in. Then, I put in the learning activities.
3 Simple Learning Activities
For me, I like to optimize learning, so I usually include several activities in to our bin. The first activity was a speech and language one. My son is working on the L sound. So, I printed off pictures that begin with the L sound. If he pulled one of those out of the bin, he had to say the L word using the correct tongue placement. You can find our pictures cards here:
https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/L-Sound-Speech-and-Language-Curriculum-4678385
Then, I wrote capital and lowercase letters on to small cards and included those. If those were selected, we had to match the uppercase and lowercase letters together and say their name and sound.
And last, (and this was the favorite), I wrote the letters in my sons names on a heart. Each heart had its own letter. They had to pull out the letters and spell their name. It was a great way to practice letters, sounds and how to spell their names!
Sensory Bin Wrap Up
In the end, sensory bins don’t have to be overwhelming. Here’s a link to another simple yet affective sensory bin we used:
https://littleowlacademy.com/alphabet-matching-game-for-preschoolers/
These 3 simple ways to use a Valentine’s Day sensory bin are an example of how great learning takes place when simplicity is at the forefront. Sensory bins are more than just play, they are to learn and grow as well. Make it easy, make it fun, and great learning will take place!