How to Use Sensory Bins

Sensory bins offer the perfect open-ended child-driven play. When the materials inside sensory bins are offered to children without an expectation of a finished product, children use their imaginations and creativity to make sense of the materials in their own way. The magic of sensory play is in how it inspires creativity in our children. 

Sensory bins are perfect for a variety of ages. Some kids may jump straight into a sensory bin and others may not. To help, you can sit and play with the child and the bin until they feel comfortable interacting with it on their own. You can start by modeling a few play scenarios. Dig in with the kids to show them how fun it can be to explore. Scoop, dump, fill, and pour yourself! Talk about what you are doing, seeing and feeling. This type of play will encourage language development and imaginary play.  

Kids will spend hours exploring the sensory bin and it is not unusual for their imagination to go in a completely different direction each time they play. They will surprise you and come up with their own ideas instead of play how you expected. This is exactly what you want to happen! 

There is no right or wrong way to set up your Mama of Joy Sensory Bins. The pictures shown are a guide. Be as creative as you’d like when setting up your sensory bin! Sensory play should be about the fun and experience. All learning will follow and occur naturally.