PreK STEM Sensory Bin Ideas
A sensory bin is a great way to get kids using all of their senses to explore STEM, and it's fun for kids of all ages! Here are six of my favorite bin fillers:
Baking soda and vinegar. In an ice cube tray, add a few drops of food coloring and some vinegar to each slot. Fill the bin with one or two boxes of baking soda, and give kids pipettes or medicine droppers to make designs, channels, and art in the bin.
Ice. It's really as simple as it sounds. Throw a bunch of ice and water (optional) into a bin and provide children with spoons, cups, strainers, etc. to play with. Freeze small items like toys in ice cube trays, and students can experiment with breaking or melting the ice to free the item.
Oobleck. This sensory experience has the potential to keep your kids occupied for hours. First, make oobleck together by combining two parts corn starch and one part water. Let children give their toy animals an oobleck bath in the sensory bin. When the animals are nice and dirty, transition to a soap and water sensory bin to wash away all of the icky sticky oobleck!
Nature. Fill the bin with flowers, leaves, twigs, pine cones, acorns, and anything else you can find in nature. Children can use scissors or punches with these materials to work on fine motor skills.
Recycled materials. Use toilet paper or paper towel tools, empty egg cartons, and cardboard boxes in combination with spoons and scoopers for an earth friendly bin. You can fill the bin with rice or oatmeal for optimal scooping and dumping.
Magnetic sensory bin. Fill a bin with rice or oatmeal and bury some magnets, such as magnetic letters and numbers. Children can dig through the bin with a magnetic wand and hunt for the missing magnets.