• About
  • Shop
  • Work with Me
    • Guest Post on Views!
    • Policies and Disclosure
    • Sponsored Work
  • Tri-State Family Fun
  • The Mommy View
    • Email
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    • Twitter

Views From a Step Stool

Open Minds & Messy Hands

  • Home
  • Learn Through Play
    • Fine Motor Activities
    • Arts & Crafts
      • Toddler Arts & Crafts
      • Preschool Arts& Crafts
    • Sensory
      • Ultimate Collection of Sensory Bins for Kids
      • Toddler Sensory Play
      • Preschool/Early Elementary Sensory Play
      • Mess-Free Sensory Play
    • STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math)
      • Indoor and Outdoor STEM Challenges for Kids
    • Babies
      • 60+ Awesome Activities for 1 Year Olds! {Tested and Loved}
    • Toddlers
      • Activities for 2 Year Olds
    • Preschoolers
      • Activities for 3 Year Olds
      • 65+ Fun Activities for 4 Year Olds
    • Elementary
      • 55+ Activities for 5 Year Olds
    • Want to Teach Your Kids Through Play?
  • Holidays
    • Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids
      • Free Printable Valentines Cards
    • St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Kids
    • Easter Activities for Kids
    • Memorial Day/4th of July
    • Halloween Activities for Kids
      • Monster Activities for Kids
      • Pumpkin Activities for Kids: Crafts, Science and Sensory Play
    • Thanksgiving Crafts,Sensory Play and Printables for Toddlers and Up
      • Pumpkin Activities for Kids: Crafts, Science and Sensory Play
    • Christmas
      • 30+ Christmas Activities for 1 and 2 Year Olds
      • Christmas Printables for Kids
      • Ornament Crafts for Kids
    • New Years
  • Seasons
    • Spring Activities for Kids
      • March Activities for Kids
      • St. Patrick’s Day Activities for Kids
      • Easter Activities for Kids
    • Summer Activities for Kids
      • 4th of July Activities for Kids
    • Tons of Fall Kids Activities for All Ages
      • Fall Printables for Kids
      • Apple Themed Kids Activities
      • Apple Crafts for Kids
      • Pumpkin Activities for Kids: Crafts, Science and Sensory Play
    • Winter
      • Valentine’s Day Activities for Kids
      • February Activities for Toddlers
  • Sensory Bins
  • Printables
    • Seasonal Printables for Kids
      • Spring Printables for Kids
      • Summer Printables for Kids
      • Fall Printables for Kids
      • Winter Printables for Kids
    • Holiday Printables for Kids
      • Valentine’s Day Printables for Kids
        • Free Printable Valentines Cards
      • St. Patrick’s Day Printables for Kids
      • Easter Printables for Kids
      • 4th of July Printables for Kids
      • Halloween Printables for Kids
      • Thanksgiving Printables for Kids
      • Christmas Printables for Kids
    • Free Printable Board Games for Kids
      • Printable Camping Games for Kids
    • Printable Bookmarks for Kids
    • Free Printable Playdough Mats for Kids
    • Book Lists
    • Printable Lego Challenges for Kids
  • Exclusive Content for Subscribers
Dig and Plant Indoor Garden Sensory Bin (plus a sweet treat!)

Dig and Plant Indoor Garden Sensory Bin (plus a sweet treat!)

March 21, 2018 By Katie Chiavarone Leave a Comment

Sharing is caring!

1.9Kshares
  • Facebook1
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Pinterest1.9K

A garden sensory bin containing brown rice and dried beans. Perfect for talking about the importance of gardening and the plant life cycle.


 

Sensory bins are excellent for early learning, and great for children with sensory-seeking behaviors. They provide opportunities for rich learning for kids as children are engaged and using many of their senses during play. This garden sensory bin is very similar to others we have done in the past, but has a sweet treat and a fine motor extra!

*This post contains affiliate links.

 

A garden sensory bin containing brown rice and dried beans. Perfect for talking about the importance of gardening and the plant life cycle.

Dig and Plant Indoor Garden Sensory Bin

I like to use different trays and pans for sensory play depending on what we are doing, but a clear scrapbook paper container like this one with a lid is a sure favorite. When the kids are done playing, I can close it up and save it for another day easily.

IMG_4104

What you need:

brown rice

dry bean soup mix

clean bin 

chocolate chips (optional – but fun!)

compostable pots

graden tools

tweezers

fake plants or flowers

 

IMG_4097

 

What to do:

Place all of the items in the bin. We added chocolate chips as an extra ‘dirt’ component, and my kiddos loved snacking on them as they played 🙂

 

A garden sensory bin containing brown rice and dried beans. Perfect for talking about the importance of gardening and the plant life cycle.

Kids can dig the brown rice ‘dirt’ and scoop in into the pots. The bean mix adds a nice variety of ‘seeds’ to plant in the pots, just like you would in the garden!

IMG_4103

 

There are so many fun ways to play with this garden sensory bin! And while not tasty (the raw beans and rice) it is all safe if ingested – though the beans could pose a choking hazard with little ones, so please use with supervision.

To Use this Sensory Bin with Toddlers: 

A great skill for toddlers to practice is scooping and dumping! The garden tools are large enough for their little hands to coordinate. The shovel allows them to fill pots with rice and beans, and the rake is great for running back and forth. Such great learning for this age group!  

IMG_4113

 

To Use this Sensory Bin with Preschoolers:

Preschoolers are sponges! This is a great opportunity to talk about the importance of gardening, and what a plant needs to grow. As pretend play is really peaking right now, kids can fill their pots about halfway with rice, select a bean to plant (use tweezers for fine motor practice), and top off the pot with more rice.

IMG_4120

Play with them! Pretend to water their bean plant, and shine some sunlight on them!

To Use this Sensory Bin with Elementary Ages:

Even big kids can benefit from sensory play! They will enjoy pretending to plant, along with raking and scooping, but, the benefits of sensory play can go beyond this for big kids.

Just feeling the rice and beans run between their fingers can be an excellent calming tool, or can help to decompress after a long day at school!

IMG_4115

 

 

Whichever way you choose to use your garden sensory bin, I know your kids will have fun learning!


Head over to our entire collection of sensory bins to see more.

sensory bins page pin

Sharing is caring!

1.9Kshares
  • Facebook1
  • Twitter
  • Google+
  • Pinterest1.9K

Filed Under: Learn Through Play, Sensory, Spring Tagged With: garden

20+ Simple Boredom Busters for Big Kids: Low or No-Prep and Easy!
35+ Rice Bins for Sensory Play with Kids

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

Welcome to Views From a Step Stool!

I am a mom to three little ones and love to create and explore every day with them! We have open minds and messy hands, come join in our adventures!

Search the Site

What’s New

  • Summer Olympics Bingo Game Printable
  • Constellations for Kids: Constellation Coloring Pages, Flashcards and Science Experiment Printable
  • St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt Printable
  • St. Patrick’s Day Printable Favor Toppers
  • Drawing Garden Game to Print for Kids: Roll and Draw!
  • Printable Valentine’s Day Lunchbox Jokes

What’s New:

  • Summer Olympics Bingo Game Printable
  • Constellations for Kids: Constellation Coloring Pages, Flashcards and Science Experiment Printable
  • St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt Printable
  • St. Patrick’s Day Printable Favor Toppers
  • Drawing Garden Game to Print for Kids: Roll and Draw!
  • Printable Valentine’s Day Lunchbox Jokes
  • Valentine’s Day Color by Number Printables
  • Pin the Carrot on the Snowman Printable Game
  • Printable Christmas Puzzles for Toddlers
  • Christmas Tic Tac Toe Printable Game
  • Christmas Charades Printable Game
  • Printable Coffee Gift Card Holder for Christmas
  • The Gift of Christmas Printable Board Game
  • Christmas Countdown Printable
  • Santa Says Printable Christmas Game
  • Christmas Tree I Spy Printable for Kids
  • Thanksgiving Picture Charades Printable Game for Young Kids
  • Christmas Countdown Dollar Store Craft
  • Roll a Gingerbread Man Christmas Board Game
  • Winter Color by Number Printables

Copyright © 2023 · Hello Sweets by Hello You Designs

Copyright © 2023 · Hello Sweets On Genesis Framework