Easy Sensory Bin for under $10

I'm not sure about you, but sometimes (and I'm saying this when it's been raining for 3 days, and we've all just about had it with each other and this house) it's just necessary to have some sort of activity at the ready when the kiddos are getting restless.

Who me? I never get restless...

Wait. An endless activity, perfect for rainy days, and only $10? Yes, my friends, it's true. And here's how I did it!

First, I went to Target and rummaged through their $1 bin. I know I've mentioned this before, but I cannot tell you how much I love this! Here's what I found: perfect little tongs sized for Miss E, little Chevron patterned buckets, and mini-scoops. After grabbing some rice and split peas, we were ready to go!

I had the plastic bin and dinosaurs at home already. I poured in the rice and split peas...

Then added all the fun goodies...

I collected some tops from Mr. C's pouches of food when we're on the go. I thought it added some nice color, and gave Miss E something to dig for.

After giving Miss E the rules of her new bin (nothing in the mouth, and when you pour it has to be over the bin), she was ready to go!!

And don't forget the clean up! Miss E is always at the ready when it comes to cleaning the house. Picking up her toys? Maybe not. But using a "sweeper" to help mommy? Absolutely!

Miss E asks to play with this every single day. I try to limit it to a few times a week to keep it new, and so I can use it to my advantage (Cooking dinner, anyone? This is a perfect distraction!). That being said, it's perfect to incorporate into Tot School every day. Just switch out the smaller items with the theme you're using that week. I just happened to have dinosaurs lying around, and they were perfect for this bin.

A few things: Our bin is small. Homes in our area are small and expensive, so it is what it is. I have a friend who made a much larger one, and it is AWESOME. But we just don't have the space to store something like that. Secondly, we used rice. I love the color contrast with the split peas, but it is a bit messier than if I had used any sort of dried beans. You can see the dust from the rice on my jeans in the above picture, as well as on Miss E's face in the first picture.

And that's it! It took me no time at all, it was super cheap to do, and most importantly, it's a crowd pleaser! Even Mr. C enjoys watching his sister play, and helps by spraying all of the rice all over the room with his hands. That's what we have vacuums for, right?

Now get to it!

Until next time,

Mrs. Kuda