Sensory Boxes

Sensory Boxes!! Who loves them?! ME….and my students!!

Sensory boxes are one of the most sought after items in my classroom! What better way to start this teaching blog than with something I love to create and use myself. One of the many reasons I love sensory bins is because you can customize them to any child. They can include items that are of that child's interest. 

Sensory boxes are a great way to entertain a wide age range of students. They are not just for a special needs classroom. They can be used in all classroom settings and at home too. My toddler l-o-v-e-s using them as well!

How I use sensory boxes in my classroom:

• Small Breaks
• Rewards
• Sensory time
• Prior to electives
• After lunch 

Each time they are used the class or child is given a timer to use. When the timer goes off the student(s) know it is time to clean up! Time durations range depending on the reason for use.

In this blog post you will leave with two EASY sensory bins to make and can purchase all of it at the Dollar Tree!

Sensory Box 1 – Rice Box

This is the more challenging of the two to create. In all fairness, you do NOT need to dye your rice I just find it easier to clean up off the white flooring at school when its colored. Sometimes my friends at school get a little excited with their sensory boxes and we lose some of the content.

Items needed for dying rice:

-       Dry Rice

-       Gel Food Coloring

-       Large Gallon Plastic Bag(s)

-       Wax Paper

-       White Distilled Vinegar

Items needed for sensory bin:

-       Plastic bin

-       Dry Rice

-       Small Toys/Trinkets

-       Scoops

Step 1: Dying your rice

*If you don’t want to do this jump down to step 2 *

a.     Fill the plastic gallon bag with the amount of uncooked rice you desire to color

b.     Add a few tablespoons of distilled white vinegar to the bag.

c.     Squeeze the gel food coloring into the bag and seal the bag.

d.     Shake the contents until they are thoroughly coated. If you want your rice to be a darker or bolder color add more food coloring and shake.

e.     When you have reached the color of rice you desire spread it out on the wax paper to dry. This takes about an hour depending on how much rice you have.

f.      Once it is dry add it to your plastic bin. Repeat steps if you choose to have more than 1 color in your bin.

Step 2: Add rice to the bin.

Step 3: Add the trickets and small toys to the rice bin. I like to include spoons, measuring cups, plastic toys (insects, dinosaurs, characters, etc)

Step 4: Enjoy!

Changing out the smaller items monthly helps keep the sensory box engaging!

Sensory Box 2 – Cotton Ball Box

Cotton Ball Sensory Bin Items:

-       Colored Cotton Balls

-       Small Toys/Trinkets

-       Plastic Bin

To create:

Step 1: Fill the bin with a variety of sized cotton balls.

Step 2: Add small trickets and toys to the bin.

Step 3: Enjoy!

What types of sensory bins do you use in your classroom?


Until next time,
Ashley