Fall sensory play is a blast with these black and orange dried beans. When the two colors collided, I could smell fall in the air. Okay, it wasn’t the smell of a pumpkin spice latte, but at 90 degrees, I’ll take what I can get. Introduce this fall sensory bin to your preschooler as you spend the days at home or after school winds down. This makes a simple calming after-school activity.
RELATED: Curious about how to introduce sensory play? This beginner’s guide to sensory setup will help.
What is my child learning?
For starters, think about how the weight of a container changes as it is filled with beans. As my preschooler fills and dumps, the capacity changes, and his mindsight shifts.
And guess what? You do not have to race out the door to your grocery store. This sensory bin is doable for both indoor and outside activities.
Sensory play allows children to practice:
- Boundaries
- Creative freedom
- Hand-eye coordination
- Feeling new textures
- Filling containers
- Focus
- Transferring objects
Learn more about the importance of sensory play to help guide your future sensory bin play prompts.
One rule for this sensory bin
Here, things need to either be kept wet or dry. I don’t allow water on beans or rice because these supplies must be swept up after playing. Water will make that tricky. We save the water play to ideas that can dry a little easier on an outdoor table or dishcloth.
However, any water tables mentioned in this post also work well for dry sensory play.
Keeping the beans dry helps with cleanup.
I sweep away when finished, and it is less likely to have beans sprouting from the cracks of the deck. #momwin
And don’t worry! We have another use for this bean sensory bin when finished here. – Another reason to keep the beans dry.
RELATED: Love fall? Here is the best list of fall preschool activities.
Simple Supply List:
Check your pantry. Are there any old beans or lentils that you plan on throwing out? Toss them into your sensory bin and add this activity to your list of the best ideas for fall.
Days with Grey is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more about these links in my disclosure policy.
For this sensory bin, I added pinto beans for orange(ish) and black beans for black. Mix them for the ultimate fall sensory idea for preschoolers.
For this fall sensory bin, I used the following:
- Pinto Beans
- Black Beans
- Sensory Bin
- Shower liner
Outdoor Sensory Supplies
It is time to restock the outdoor sensory supplies and prepare for fun water play!
Quick tips for sensory play
Remember, keep your preschooler’s play prompts simple.
- Set an area for your child to sit with a little room for spills.
- Encourage your child to be a part of set up and clean up.
- Cover the sensory bin when finished to play more than once.
And you know it. I have a list of 40+ sensory bin ideas to guide you.
Set this fall bean sensory play-up along with these other super fun ideas!
Are you thinking what I’m thinking? Fall can only mean one thing. Take me to the best Halloween activities for kids!
Empower your child with skills to thrive.
24 low-prep activities and relatable conversation starters that equip kids for life.
- Order the easy-to-follow activity cards.
- Build the foundation for social-emotional learning.
- Notice a shift in self-confidence and self-regulation as you and your child implement what you practice.
FAQ
Use an under-the-bed storage container for kids to play in. Set a boundary for your child to play inside such as a shower liner or soft mat. Add a filler such as cloud dough, water, crushed cereal, dried beans, feathers, or shaving cream inside the bin.
Sensory play can be introduced as early as a few months old. Remember that sensory play is not limited to a traditional bin filled with rice. One-year-olds learn by looking, seeing, touching, hearing, and grasping. Allow babies to feel new textures and objects for sensory play. Toddlers like to stack, transport, touch, fill, dump, bang, pound, push, twist, climb, and swing. Sensory play can be in a bin or in the backyard.
This list of sensory bins for kids includes examples of clean sensory play, water and ice, and messy sensory experiences.
