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Welcome back! If you were here yesterday I filled you in on how to build out a successful sensory bin. In case you missed that post, check it out then come back here!
To me, there is nothing more thrilling than a well thought out sensory bin. One that keeps your child engaged for hours and hours with open ended imaginative play! In order to have this magical moment, bins need to be rotated or changed up once children lose interest. Having a simple formula of the four elements like I shared yesterday, makes transitioning a bin a breeze!
Quick Refresher on the 4 Elements of a Sensory Bin
Base
Filler
Fine Motor Element
Tools
I’m going to show you a few additions you can make to the bin we built yesterday to last you through October and November. Along the way I’ll share some activity ideas for each element! Lets go!
For October, our BASE can stay the same. I love the crinkle cut paper for adding dimension to our bin along with some colorful fall leaves!
This is a great opportunity to change out your FILLER from apples to pumpkins! I found these cute mini velvet pumpkins at Hobby Lobby last year. You can find foam pumpkins and gourds almost everywhere!
It’s also fun to add Halloween FINE MOTOR ELEMENTS like spooky pumpkin stickers (Remember don’t tell your kids they’re stickers and they won’t use them as stickers!) and tiny pumpkins. These are great for sorting. The Dollar Tree usually has a great selection of Halloween themed magnets. I love to hide these in the bin and ask my friends to look for them. You can also add a cookie sheet to your bin.
I love using the mini pumpkin ice cube tray for sorting, patterning and one to one correspondence. You can use this TOOL with all your FINE MOTOR ELEMENTS.
In November, you can trade out your FILLERS with Thanksgiving and Turkey items. These are some of my favorites!
The owl, scarecrow and turkey are dollar store magnets that we’ve used year after year. The turkey and pie do a dot and Thanksgiving food cards all came from Teacher and the Tots. The food cards are great for a memory game.
I laminated the do a dot pages and love to use them with pom poms!
So, there ya have it! A few simple changes can help you transition your fall bin the entire season. As always, please share with me on Instagram if you use any of these ideas! I’d love to hear and see what you come up with.
The Teaching Nanny 
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