D is for Dinosaur Sensory Bin Play
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Welcome to another post in the A-Z's of Sensory Play for Kids series. Today I want to welcome Monique from Living Life and Learning with this fun Dinosaur sensory bin play idea.
Sensory bins are a great way to learn about a new topic or rejuvenate an old one, this dinosaur sensory bin is super easy to put together and both of my kids had a wonderful time with it. My son is in love with all things dinosaurs so as we were working on a dino unit, I quickly put together a simple dinosaur sensory bin that was a huge hit in our house. It gets taken out almost daily, I can see my kids playing with this one for a while.
We have a lot of plastic dinosaurs which my kids usually take out and play on our mat, this sensory bin was a nice change for them and definitely seemed more fun. I think pretty much anything stuck in a container of rice is loads more fun.
Dinosaur Sensory Bin Supplies
- large bin
- green colored rice – rice, green food coloring, vinegar, ziplock bag
- dinosaurs
- trees
- rocks
I colored the rice using vinegar, and let it dry, which only took about an hour. I used about 8 cups of rice. We dumped it into a large plastic bin and added in our dinosaurs, rocks, and trees. I had other creatures to add like lizards and such but my son was adamant that it only be filled with dinosaurs.
He positioned the herbivores in front of the carnivores as if they were being chased. He had them eating each other and was also fighting with them. He got out our dinosaur skeleton and buried it, he then dug it out pretending that he had found a dinosaur fossil.
My toddler loves to follow the lead of her big brother so she was right there with him pretending to fight with him and eat other dinosaurs. She's my princess who loves to play fight with her brother.
Make sure you lay down a large towel or shower curtain to catch the bits of rice that fall out of the bin. That's definitely a necessity since, by the end of this activity, my kids had poured rice in each other's hair.
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You can find Monique sharing homeschooling tips, activities, and printables at Living Life and Learning. She is a SAHM and homeschools her 3 children, they love notebooking, lapbooks, and a relaxed approach to homeschooling. You can find her on Pinterest, Facebook, and Instagram.
Heather Greutman, COTA
Heather Greutman is a Certified Occupational Therapy Assistant with experience in school-based OT services for preschool through high school. She uses her background to share child development tips, tools, and strategies for parents, educators, and therapists. She is the author of many ebooks including The Basics of Fine Motor Skills, and Basics of Pre-Writing Skills, and co-author of Sensory Processing Explained: A Handbook for Parents and Educators.