Since we are updating our ocean unit this week, I decided to try my hand at implementing an ocean sensory bin. I didn’t consult the internet for ideas, because I figured, how hard could it be, right? I could have had something like this:
Beautiful, right? No…I got some sand and water. You know, like the real thing, and I got this…..
Its like the muddy Mississippi, or a visit to the water treatment plant.
That being said, I started a little better. We separated sand and water initially, it just didn’t take too long for the things to get mixed together. I did add these things, too.
You just couldn’t see them. 🙂
Now I put this sensory bin out on the back porch and let E play. I figured I might get 15 messy minutes out of this if I was lucky. No, my kid played in it for a whopping 45 minutes! Was she messy? YES. Was it worth it? Without a doubt!
Here is what we did:
- We counted the things we found.
- We talked about the way things felt in the water and under the sand.
- We observed the animals we had and talked about them.
- We played pretend and helped dolphins run from sharks.
The sensory bin is good fun. If you are wanting a safe and semi-mom free activity, skip the water and go with one of the bins above. However, if you’re brave and cheap this method is sure to be rich on memories!
