Sensory Bins
Sensory bins are a way to provide sensory stimulation for students with deafblindness. To make a sensory bin, fill a large container with carefully chosen materials or objects that would provide sensory stimulation. For example, you might use shredded paper, rice, water beads, cereal water, sand, and more. Sensory bins can designed to stimulate whichever senses you are targeting: vision, hearing, touch, smell, and/or taste. When using Sensory Bins, you may want to review some Important Rules for Sensory Bin Play (scroll down a little) in the article Ultimate List of Sensory Bin Ideas, Incredibly Easy! It is important to ensure that you and your student or child are safe as you have fun. For example, beware of choking hazards, texture shelf life, towels on the ready for wet textures, and go at your student or child's pace. Have fun!
Paths to Literacy has a Q & A about Sensory Activities that you may find interesting. Some of the questions that Faye Gonzalez answers includes:
- What sensory boxes do you use?
- Do you have ideas for preschool activities?
- Can you make suggestions for older students?
- Do you have any objects you pair for "wh" questions to make them more tangible?
The following websites have ideas for creating and using Sensory Bins.
School / Home Teaching tip:
Make these recipes WITH your student or child!
Soothing Sea Shells Sensory Bottle
Want to make a sensory bottle? Try out this DIY Sea Shells Sensory Bottle from Rhythms of Play
This recipe by Little Bins For Little Hands makes crumbly and mouldable dough that youngsters may enjoy playing with. Make the recipe taste-safe by using cooking oil.
Did you know you can use your mixer to make the Rainbow Soap Foam by Fun at Home with Kids? This looks like a lot of fun. Soap bubbles are not meant to be injested, but they are a lot of fun.
Edible Homemade Playdough with Rainbow Colours
This is a non-toxic, edible recipe for playdough that you may enjoy making with your kids. From the website Surviving a Teacher's Salary.
50+ Edible Bases for Sensory Bins
Wondering what to use as a base for your sensory bins? Penguins in Pink have a lot of ideas that you might find helpful. For more schooling ideas from Penguins in Pink, check out the Homeschool tab under Family and Life.