Thanksgiving Sensory Bin: Native American and Pilgrim Small World

This Thanksgiving sensory bin has a base of unpopped popcorn and dried beans to with a Native American and Pilgrim small world for kids to play with.

Playing with a sensory bin is a great way to introduce a concept to young children. By engaging the senses, children are more likely to retain information presented to them. This Thanksgiving sensory bin is a great opportunity to discuss the first Thanksgiving, and the Native Americans and Jamestown Settlers.

Thanksgiving Sensory Bin with Native American and Pilgrim Small World Play

This Thanksgiving sensory bin has a base of corn and beans, similar to our Thanksgiving dinner sensory bin that uses Thanksgiving food painted rocks with a corn base. This bin prompts a discussion about Native Americans pilgrims that lived in and came to the United Stated hundreds of years ago.

Sensory bins provide children with the opportunity to really engage with the material. Unpopped popcorn is great with fine motor tools such as scoops and funnels, and can have a calming effect when played with. Additionally, corn was a staple food for many years.

What you need to make the Thanksgiving Sensory Bin

Unpopped popcorn kernels

Dried pinto beans

Plastic container or bin

Safari LTD Jamestown Settlers

Safari LTD Powhatan Indians

Fine motor tools or scoops (we love these wooden scoops for sensory bins)

How to make the Thanksgiving Sensory Bin

Place the unpeopled popcorn and dried bean base in the sensory bin container. We like to use wither a plastic shoe box, plastic scrapbook paper bin, or a round metal serving tray as our container depending on how long we want to use the bin, the setting, and how many children will be playing.

Choosing a plastic container with a lid will allow kids to play with the sensory bin over and over again.

Next, introduce the characters of the small world. The Toobs mentioned above include Powhatan Indians, which were not the tribe at the first Thanksgiving, that was the Wompanoag tribe that gathered at Plymouth Rock. They do however serve as a nice representation for the purposes of this sensory bin.

Also included in this bin is the Toob with the Jamestown settlers. With the Native Americans, you can create a small world play prompt within the sensory bin where the settlers and Native Americans come together and have the first Thanksgiving feast.