This article is proudly sponsored by Tiny Town Inc in Manomet! Tiny Town Inc has been filling their walls with laughter, toys, crafts, and books since 1985! Tiny Town is a family business previously owned and directed by the late, beloved and, extraordinary, Mrs. Toni Powers. It is now owned and Directed since 2018 by her grand daughter Mrs. Stacia Buckmann (learn more about Stacia here). Tiny Town's preschool is currently enrolling - give them a call today!
Paint sticks, sidewalk chalk, and magnatiles have been a favorite in our play cycle for months now. While all of those things are GREAT, we were craving some variety and Stacia from Tiny Town Children's Center had ANOTHER great idea for upgrading our sensory experience and learning all while PLAYING! Thanks to her, we decided to try out a sensory bin - based all around the Life Cycle of a Frog! So much learning happened and everyone was so engaged!
What is a sensory bin?
Sensory bins are engaging activities that encourage children to explore with tactile play while using all of their senses. Sensory bins can be made with various materials and can support all kinds of development in your babies, toddlers, and preschoolers. The best thing about sensory bins is that you can often create sensory bins using materials you already have at home. You can theme sensory bins around holidays, seasons, and events. The possibilities are endless!
What is an example of a sensory bin?
Tiny Town Children's Center preschoolers recently got the chance to explore a sensory after learning all about the life cycle of a frog - and even interacting with real frogs! Stacia suggests building student's background knowledge before engaging in the sensory bin play, so they can apply their knowledge to their play.
While playing in the sensory bin, students engaged in conversation with their peers and teachers which helps to develop concepts while strengthening receptive and expressive language skills. All of these areas of development were supported with a low cost, simple, and motivating play activity!
Here's what you need to recreate this bin at home:
~a deep bin, deep enough to hold a good amount of water without spilling
~toy frogs (these bath ones are great!)
~small pom poms (frog eggs)
~small pipe cleaners with a pony bead on the end (your tadpoles!)
~rocks, small plastic plants, and other toy animals to simulate the habitat
~tools such as tongs, spoons, and scoops (this is a great set)
One thing I notice when my boys are engaged in a sensory bin, is how long it keeps their attention for. I am always amazed by how long they stay engaged! This bin was no exception. While I had to monitor my little guy (some choking hazards) they both had a great time picking up, squishing, and rolling the wet balls. They are 4 and 2, and they both found it to be a blast!
Some other animal sensory bin ideas:
Shark Sensory Bin (from Mommy's Bundle)
Sea Turtle Sensory Bin (from Teaching Mama)
Looking for some great books to start learning about frogs? Here are some great titles to start with!
And The Bullfrog Sings: A Life Cycle Begins
This article is proudly sponsored by Tiny Town Inc in Manomet! Tiny Town Inc has been filling their walls with laughter, toys, crafts, and books since 1985! Tiny Town is a family business previously owned and directed by the late, beloved and, extraordinary, Mrs. Toni Powers. It is now owned and Directed since 2018 by her grand daughter Mrs. Stacia Buckmann (learn more about Stacia here). Tiny Town's preschool is currently enrolling - give them a call today!
When visiting events and local businesses, be sure to tell them Macaroni KID sent you... and don't forget to tell all your friends!
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