Winter Themed Sensory Tray and Play DIY Toddler Activities

Winter Sensory Bin Ideas and Sensory Play Activities

We are going to make a fun Winter sensory bin idea for today’s post! I’m super excited about today’s project. Sensory play is so much fun and is a very inexpensive children’s activity.

Sensory Play Is Fun!

Hello again and thanks for stopping by. Today we wanted to share a fun and inexpensive winter sensory tray that you can create for your kids.

I really like sensory play as you can make it about a certain subject or theme. The other great thing about sensory play is that it can be really simple to set one up and inexpensive.

Benefits of Sensory Play For Young Children

• Sensory play aids in cognitive development in young children – Sensory play helps children develop nerve pathways and connections. These benefits are also enjoyed by older children, even into adulthood. New and frequent play experiences help create nerve connections that can help with more complex tasks.

 

• Gives kids a leg up on problem-solving, creativity, and exploration – Children love playing with sensory tables and small manipulative toys and items. It allows kids to try new things, like pouring, stirring, dropping, mixing, putting together, or taking it apart.

 

• Play using sensory items helps enhance a child’s memory – Scientists have shown through brain scans that sights and smells can evoke the past. This is one of the biggest benefits of sensory play as children engage all five of their senses while in play.

 

 

What Types of Items Do You Include In A Winter Sensory Bin?

The short answer is that you could use whatever you want to use! You can use whatever your imagination can come up with.

These are some ideas of what you might include in the Winter themed Sensory Bin as an idea:

• Penguin Toys
• Polar Bear Toys
• Snowflakes
• Blue and White Playdough
• Winter themed erasers
• Silver glitter
• Shiny Snowflakes
• White Sensory Trays
• White Sensory Bins
• Woodland Animals
• Instant Snow
• Polar Animal Figurines
• Lego Duplo Santa’s Town
• Polar Animal Sensory Bin Kit
• Inspire My Play Sensory Bin with Lid

You could create a sensory tray that is based on a construction theme, with small construction toys, pebbles, real dirt, or sand. This is one of the reasons I just love sensory trays or bins. It is so flexible and can be made to your child’s own tastes.

Where Can I Get Inexpensive Sensory Toys?

One of the best places I’ve found to get sensory play toys is at a Dollar Store. You can literally get small toys, trays, bins, and other sensory-themed items to stock in your kid’s sensory trays.

I have also had really good luck finding sensory items at Target and also at Oriental Trading for bulk sensory items.

In addition to these store ideas, Walmart, Thrift Stores, and Amazon are surprisingly good places to find sensory bin items.

 

Fun Winter Sensory Bin Idea

Today’s sensory tray was stocked with sensory play items that were gathered from a combination of the Dollar store, Target and Oriental Trading.

It has a mixture of winter-themed manipulative items such as snowflakes, polar bears, penguins, and DIY playdough.

Our child just loves playing with sensory play items. He is always requesting to play with small items that he likes pouring into cups or buckets. He also enjoys playing with the play dough, which he uses to interact with the other manipulatives.

That’s all for now, but let us know in the comments what sensory play items your kids like playing with. Have a great day!