Sensory Bin Ideas: 25 Themed Bins for Toddlers and Preschoolers

If you have ever watched a toddler run their fingers through a bowl of dried rice, completely absorbed for twenty minutes straight, you already understand the magic of a sensory bin. Sensory bins are one of the simplest, most versatile play invitations you can set up at home. A container, a filler, a few interesting objects, and a couple of tools. That is it.

What started in our home as a way to buy ten minutes of independent play during breakfast prep turned into one of our most reliable learning tools. Our kids have practiced counting, letter recognition, fine motor skills, and imaginative storytelling — all while thinking they were just playing.

This guide covers how to choose containers and tools, what makes a bin truly engaging, and 25 themed ideas organized into five categories.

What Makes a Great Sensory Bin

Every effective sensory bin has three components: a base filler, objects to discover and manipulate, and tools for interacting with the materials. Getting this combination right is what transforms a container of stuff into an engaging, self-directed play experience.

Base Fillers

The base filler is the foundation — the material your child digs through, pours, scoops, and sifts. Great fillers provide interesting textures and sounds. Here are the most popular options:

• Dried rice — inexpensive, easy to dye with food coloring and vinegar, pleasant sound
• Dried beans or lentils — satisfying weight and texture, good for scooping
• Dried pasta — various shapes add visual interest, easy to dye
• Water beads — squishy, slippery, visually stunning (ages 3+ with supervision)
• Kinetic sand — moldable, mess-contained, endlessly satisfying
• Cloud dough — flour mixed with baby oil, soft and moldable
• Sand — classic sensory material, fine or coarse
• Shredded paper — free, colorful, good for hiding objects
• Oatmeal — taste-safe for younger toddlers
• Cooked pasta — slimy and wonderful for the youngest explorers
• Water — the original sensory material, always a hit

Objects to Discover

Objects give a sensory bin its theme and purpose. Small figurines, letter and number pieces, buttons, gems, natural items (shells, pinecones, stones), themed erasers, and craft supplies (pom-poms, pipe cleaners) all work beautifully.

Tools for Interaction

Tools extend the play and build fine motor skills. A scoops and tongs set is essential for developing hand strength. Funnels, measuring cups, tweezers, slotted spoons, muffin tins, turkey basters, and sieves all add new dimensions to play.

Choosing the Right Container

The container matters more than you might think. Too small and materials end up on the floor. Too deep and small arms cannot reach the bottom.

Best Options

• Under-bed storage bins — our top recommendation. They are wide, shallow, and large enough to contain spills. The clear ones let children see the materials from the side.
• IKEA TROFAST bins — perfectly sized for toddlers, fit on existing shelving, and stack when not in use
• Large plastic tubs — any wide, flat-bottomed container works. Dish tubs, cement mixing tubs, and storage totes are all fair game.
• Muffin tins and ice cube trays — perfect as secondary containers within the bin for sorting activities

Mess Management

Sensory bins involve some mess, but a few strategies keep it manageable. Place a shower curtain or old sheet under the bin, set up on a hard floor, move outdoors when weather permits, and keep a small broom and dustpan within your child's reach. Establish one clear rule from the start: materials stay in the bin.

If you enjoy sensory play but want even more ideas, our guide to sensory play ideas for preschoolers covers a wide range of approaches beyond bins.

25 Themed Sensory Bins

Nature Themes

1. Garden Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried black beans (soil) and dried green split peas (grass)

Add: Silk flowers, plastic garden insects (ladybugs, butterflies, worms), small terracotta pots, a toy watering can, plastic garden tools, and seed packets

Learning connections: Plant life cycles, insect identification, vocabulary (stem, petal, root, seed). Ask your child to "plant" the flowers in the bean soil and water them. Talk about what real plants need to grow.

2. Ocean Sensory Bin

Base filler: Water tinted with blue food coloring

Add: Plastic sea animals (fish, octopus, whale, shark, sea turtle), shells, smooth stones, plastic seaweed or green ribbon strips, a small net, and scoops

Learning connections: Ocean animal identification, floating and sinking exploration, water pouring and measuring. This bin pairs beautifully with a read-aloud about ocean habitats. For more water-based sensory experiences, check our ideas for screen-free activities for toddlers.

3. Forest Floor Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried brown rice or brown-dyed rice mixed with small sticks and bark pieces

Add: Pinecones, acorn caps, plastic woodland animals (deer, fox, owl, rabbit, bear), moss, small stones, and tree cookie slices

Learning connections: Woodland animal habitats, natural textures, sorting natural materials by type. This bin is a wonderful companion to nature art projects — children can use the same natural materials for both play and art.

4. Arctic Sensory Bin

Base filler: White rice or instant snow powder

Add: Plastic arctic animals (polar bear, penguin, seal, arctic fox, walrus), small ice cubes, white pom-poms (snowballs), aluminum foil crumpled into icebergs, blue water beads for water

Learning connections: Arctic animal identification, cold habitats, ice and melting observations. Adding real ice cubes to this bin introduces a science element as children watch them slowly melt.

5. Bug Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried green lentils or green-dyed rice

Add: Plastic insects (ants, beetles, spiders, caterpillars, butterflies, dragonflies), silk leaves, small sticks, magnifying glass, small rocks, and tongs for catching bugs

Learning connections: Insect identification, counting legs, sorting bugs by type or size. The tongs are especially good here — children practice fine motor control while "catching" the bugs.

Color and Sensory Themes

6. Rainbow Rice Bin

Base filler: Rice dyed in six colors using food coloring and vinegar (spread on a baking sheet to dry overnight)

Add: Clear cups, funnels, spoons, small containers. Keep this bin simple — the rainbow rice itself is the star.

Learning connections: Color identification, pouring and measuring, color mixing as colors blend during play. To make rainbow rice, place one cup of white rice in a zip-top bag with one tablespoon of vinegar and several drops of food coloring, shake until coated, and spread on parchment to dry.

7. Water Bead Sensory Bin

Base filler: Water beads hydrated in multiple colors

Add: Cups, spoons, a slotted spoon, funnels, small bowls for color sorting, and a turkey baster

Learning connections: Color sorting, scooping and transferring, cause and effect (squeezing beads). Endlessly fascinating for ages 3 and up. Always supervise closely — these are not taste-safe.

8. Kinetic Sand Sensory Bin

Base filler: Kinetic sand (two to four pounds fills a standard bin)

Add: Cookie cutters, molds, small rolling pin, plastic knife, dump truck, and sandbox toys

Learning connections: Shape making, creative construction, vocabulary (pack, mold, crumble, flatten). Kinetic sand stays together when compressed and falls apart slowly — mesmerizing to watch.

9. Cloud Dough Sensory Bin

Base filler: Cloud dough (eight cups flour mixed with one cup baby oil, stirred until crumbly and moldable)

Add: Cookie cutters, measuring cups, scoops, small rolling pin, muffin tin for molding

Learning connections: Texture exploration, cause and effect (packs when squeezed, crumbles when released), measuring and pouring. Cloud dough is taste-safe, making it great for younger toddlers. If your child loves homemade play materials, explore our homemade playdough recipes for more options.

10. Oobleck Sensory Bin

Base filler: Oobleck (two cups cornstarch mixed with one cup water — add water slowly until the mixture flows like a liquid but hardens when squeezed)

Add: Small toy figurines, spoons, cups, plastic animals (they can get "stuck")

Learning connections: States of matter (liquid versus solid), cause and effect, scientific observation and vocabulary. Oobleck is one of the most fascinating sensory materials because it behaves like both a solid and a liquid. It is also taste-safe, though not tasty.

Learning Themes

11. Alphabet Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried rice or dried beans

Add: Plastic letter set, letter cards for matching, a small chalkboard or whiteboard for practicing found letters

Learning connections: Letter identification, uppercase and lowercase matching, beginning sounds. Hide the letters in the rice and let your child dig for them — the treasure hunt element adds excitement to letter practice.

12. Counting Sensory Bin

Base filler: Colored rice or dried lentils

Add: Number and counting set with number pieces and small countable objects (glass gems, mini erasers, acorns), number cards, a muffin tin for sorting counted groups

Learning connections: Number identification, one-to-one correspondence, counting and grouping. This hands-on approach aligns perfectly with the philosophy behind Montessori math materials.

13. Shapes Sensory Bin

Base filler: Kinetic sand or cloud dough

Add: Shape cookie cutters, shape cards for matching, wooden or foam shape pieces, a rolling pin

Learning connections: Shape identification, matching shapes to outlines, creating shapes from moldable material. The moldable base lets children cut out shapes and count edges and corners with their fingers.

14. Color Sorting Sensory Bin

Base filler: White rice

Add: Pom-poms in six to eight colors, colored cups or bowls to match, tongs or tweezers for transferring

Learning connections: Color identification, sorting by attribute, fine motor practice with tongs. One of the simplest bins to set up and one of the most enduringly popular.

15. Letter Matching Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried navy beans or dried pasta

Add: Magnetic letters (two sets so there are matches), letter cards, cookie sheet for magnetic play on the side

Learning connections: Uppercase to lowercase matching, beginning sounds, simple word building for older preschoolers. Hide one set in the bin and display the other on the cookie sheet — the child digs for each match.

Seasonal Themes

16. Fall Leaves Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried red, orange, and yellow rice mixed with real or artificial fall leaves

Add: Pinecones, acorn caps, small gourds or gourd figurines, cinnamon sticks (for scent), plastic woodland animals, scoops and tongs

Learning connections: Seasonal changes, leaf shapes and colors, sorting by color or type. Add a few drops of cinnamon essential oil to the rice for an autumn scent experience.

17. Winter Snow Sensory Bin

Base filler: Instant snow powder (sodium polyacrylate mixed with water) or baking soda mixed with white hair conditioner for a moldable snow dough

Add: Small plastic snowflakes, white and blue pom-poms, small figurines (penguins, polar bears, snowmen), pine sprigs, small scoops and cups

Learning connections: Cold weather habitats, snow properties, winter animal identification. Store this bin in the refrigerator before play to make the snow feel cold.

18. Spring Flowers Sensory Bin

Base filler: Green-dyed rice (grass)

Add: Silk flowers with stems cut short, plastic butterflies and bees, small terracotta pots, seed packets, watering can, and green pipe cleaners (stems)

Learning connections: Flower parts vocabulary (petal, stem, leaf), pollination basics, spring seasonal changes. Children can "plant" flowers by poking stems into the rice and arrange their own gardens.

19. Summer Beach Sensory Bin

Base filler: Sand (play sand or kinetic sand)

Add: Shells, smooth stones, plastic beach toys (bucket, shovel, rake), sea animal figurines, a small container of water for a "tide pool," sunglasses

Learning connections: Beach ecosystem exploration, sand and water interaction, shell sorting by size or type.

20. Harvest Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried corn kernels mixed with dried brown and red beans

Add: Small gourds or gourd figurines, corn on the cob pieces, burlap scraps, plastic farm vegetables (carrots, pumpkins, apples), small baskets, scoops

Learning connections: Harvest and food origins, sorting vegetables by type or color, filling and dumping with baskets. This bin connects beautifully to practical life activities around food preparation.

Imaginative Themes

21. Dinosaur Dig Sensory Bin

Base filler: Sand or dried rice with a layer of dried beans on top

Add: Plastic dinosaur figurines partially buried, paint brushes for "excavating," a magnifying glass, small rocks, artificial plants, a sensory bin tools set for digging

Learning connections: Paleontology vocabulary (excavate, fossil, dig site), dinosaur identification, careful methodical work. For an even more immersive dig, freeze small dinosaurs in a block of ice and let your child chip them out.

22. Construction Site Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried rice or sand mixed with small gravel

Add: Toy dump trucks, excavators, and bulldozers, small wooden blocks and craft sticks (building materials), toy construction workers, rocks, and small traffic cones

Learning connections: Vehicle identification, spatial reasoning, vocabulary (excavate, haul, build, load, dump). A perennial favorite for children fascinated by trucks and heavy equipment.

23. Farm Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried corn kernels or oatmeal

Add: Plastic farm animals (cow, pig, horse, chicken, sheep, goat), a small red barn or box, fence pieces (popsicle sticks pushed into playdough bases), hay or raffia, a toy tractor

Learning connections: Farm animal identification and sounds, sorting by type or size, vocabulary (barn, pasture, tractor, hay).

24. Space Sensory Bin

Base filler: Black beans or black-dyed rice

Add: Glow-in-the-dark stars, silver and white pom-poms (planets and moons), a toy rocket, astronaut figurines, aluminum foil crumpled into asteroids, clear glass gems (stars), glitter sprinkled on top

Learning connections: Planet names, space vocabulary (orbit, launch, galaxy, asteroid), counting stars and planets. Turn off the lights and use a flashlight to make the glow-in-the-dark stars come alive.

25. Fairy Garden Sensory Bin

Base filler: Dried green lentils or green rice mixed with potting soil

Add: Small fairy figurines, tiny mushroom decorations, glass gems (fairy crystals), silk flowers, small pebbles (stepping stones), a tiny mirror (fairy pond), twigs (trees), and moss

Learning connections: Imaginative storytelling, garden and nature vocabulary, small world construction. This bin invites the longest play sessions in our experience — children will rearrange and narrate for an hour or more.

Tips for Taste-Safe Bins for Young Toddlers

If your child is under two or still puts everything in their mouth, choose taste-safe fillers: cooked pasta (dyed with food coloring), oatmeal, dried large beans (with close supervision), yogurt with food coloring, jello cubes, whipped cream, cooked rice, Cheerios, or frozen peas.

Skip water beads and anything small enough to block an airway. Use large objects that cannot fit inside a toilet paper roll (the standard choke test). Stay close — taste-safe does not mean unsupervised. Start with just a base filler and hands for the first few sessions, and use a highchair tray as a contained workspace for the youngest toddlers.

For more age-appropriate sensory activities, our guide to DIY sensory bottles offers sealed, safe experiences that even babies can enjoy.

Storage and Rotation Tips

Sensory bins are most effective when you rotate them regularly. A bin that has been sitting out for two weeks loses its appeal. A bin that appears fresh on a Monday morning after a week away feels brand new.

Storage Strategies

Use bins with lids — snap the lid on after play and slide the bin under a bed or onto a shelf. Dry fillers last for months when covered. Store tools and figurines separately in a divided container or zip-top bags so you can mix and match themes. Prep rainbow rice in batches on a weekend afternoon and store in jars for months of ready-to-go bins.

Rotation Schedule

We rotate bins every one to two weeks: nature or seasonal one week, learning themes the next, then imaginative play, then color and sensory themes. After the cycle, start again or introduce something new based on your child's current fascination.

If a bin stops holding attention, try adding a new tool, introducing one new object, moving to a different location, or inviting a friend to share the bin.

Getting Started Today

You do not need to buy a single thing to set up your first sensory bin. Grab a large container from your kitchen, fill it with dried rice or oatmeal, add a spoon and a couple of small objects, and set it on the floor with a towel underneath.

Rice will end up on the floor. Your child might dump the entire thing in the first sixty seconds. That is fine. They are exploring — learning how materials move, how tools work, how it feels to plunge their hands into something new.

Once you see how it holds their attention, you will start noticing sensory bin possibilities everywhere. A bag of dried lentils becomes a forest floor. A handful of shells becomes an ocean. A set of plastic letters becomes a treasure hunt. The bins are simple. The play is deep. And the learning happens while your child thinks they are just having fun.