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Discover the wonders of autumn through this Fantastic Fall sensory bin!
We made this Sensory Bin when my daughter was three years old. Our goal was not only to stimulate imaginative play but also to facilitate an understanding of the events and changes that occur during the fall season.
Crafted from an Ikea cutlery tray, this sensory bin provides a wealth of entertainment while remaining a budget-friendly setup. The built-in compartments serve as excellent dividers for organizing various sensory elements!
And while you’re at it, be sure to explore our Winter-Themed sensory Bin for more sensory fun.
What Exactly is a Sensory Bin?
Typically, sensory bins are spacious containers filled with thoughtfully chosen materials such as rice, beans, sand, and more, designed to captivate a child’s senses. They serve as extraordinary tools for promoting hands-on learning and fostering exploration with your child!
In essence, these bins can be tailored to align with the educational objectives of your child or themed to coincide with the seasons or holidays.
In our case, we created a Fall-themed sensory bin. Allow me to guide you through the steps of crafting a sensory bin that unveils the delightful signs of autumn.
Watch the Video of our Fall sensory bin
Before we dive into the details, I invite you to watch this brief 1-minute video. It showcases how I created the Fall sensory bin using an Ikea cutlery tray and a handful of other elements.
Super Easy, isn’t it? Many of these components consist of common household items, a few involve simple DIY projects, and there are also some small plastic toys you can easily find at stores.
The foundation for this creation is a five-compartment cutlery tray from Ikea. Keep reading to delve into more intricate details about each element.
The harvest field
The Harvest field is made with dry Corn kernels (One we use to make popcorn). A Tractor with a trailer and a Spoon for is perfect for scooping and transferring. This compartment has a lot of opportunities for imaginative play.
The Apple tree
Fall is the apple-picking season, so this bin also has an Apple tree with movable Apple pieces. The tree is made of Tissue roll and cardboard, while the Apples are Felt. I used Self-adhesive Velcro dots to affix the apples. There are precisely ten apples, and we also did some counting activities.
Fall tree and Rake
To show the Fall shades of trees, We made a tree with fall colours, yellow, red and orange. My daughter made the tree with Square patches of paper. I made a rake with a bamboo stick and felt.
Pumpkins & Hedgehogs
The Pumpkins, Hedgehogs and baskets in this sensory bin are made of air-dry clay and painted with acrylic paint. The best part is that Air-dry clay is so easy to work with and great for making tiny toys for kids.
Scarecrows and Sunflowers in the field
All you need to make this scarecrow is a couple of scrapbooking papers and two popsicle sticks. If you need a template to cut the pieces, download it from this Scarecrow craft blog.
6. Owl and Squirrel
Made with Paper cups and Googly Eyes. I have painted the Squirrel with acrylic paint.
This sensory bin has natural elements like Corn kernels, Pinecones, Hay or natural wood excelsior, Acorns, etc. and also store-bought toys like mushrooms, a Tractor, and a Bear. Altogether, It made a significant sensory bin or tray for kids to transfer, scoop, Fill, etc.
If you are looking for a fun sensory Activity for Toddlers, check out this cool Fall Sensory Bottle made with corn kernels, Pinecones Glittering sequins and more!
What can kids learn with this Sensory bin?
Fall is a peculiar season of the year where there are a lot of changes in the environment. It is great to have a mini world set up to teach the kids about the signs of Fall. I have made a list of things we learned with this sensory bin.
- The Temperature drops and days are shorter.
- Leaves change colour and Fall.
- Kids play with heaps of fallen leaves.
- People use rakes to clean their gardens.
- Mushrooms grow during Fall.
- Fall is the perfect time to pick Apples.
- And It is also Pumpkin Harvest season.
- Sunflowers, corn and many other crops ripe and are harvested
- Scarecrows are put in the field to chase away birds that eat the mature crops
- Animals like bears and hedgehogs eat a lot and prepare for hibernation
- Some animals grow extra fur for Winter
- Squirrels collect and store nuts for winder
- Owls hoot and are more active during the Fall
- Birds migrate to warm places
Last but not least, you need to teach the kids is it is NOT Fall/Autumn worldwide.
Is this Something you would like to set up for your child? Please pin this for later.
