Easter sensory bin

Vicki Manning

3 min read

We love sensory play and like to take it outdoors when we get a chance. Today was the perfect Spring day, so with the sun shining on us, I setup this super simple sensory tray for some Easter fun in the garden.

I had some rainbow rice left over from another activity, so I just popped it into a large tub with some fillable eggs and chicks for a colourful invitation to play.

Making rainbow rice is so easy and it can be used time and time again!

To make it you just need to separate some plain white rice into ziploc bags, add a drop of food colouring to each, mix well and spread out to dry.

We only used a little here for the pastel hues, but add a few drops and you can get some really vivid colours.

Multicoloured rice with toy chicks and coloured plastic eggs

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What I loved about this sensory bin was how unbelievably simple it was to put together and how long the boys were entertained for.

Open-ended play like this (where there is no "fixed" way to play with the toys or materials), is perfect for when you have children of different ages, as it allows them to play however they want in an age-appropriate way, with virtually no input from mum!

Toddler in orange sweater and denim overalls kneels by a plastic bin filled with colorful rice and plastic eggs on grass. Bright, playful mood.

Mr 1 ran straight over and had a little look at what was in the tub. It's often just water in the garden in our house, so he was pleasantly surprised to see the colourful rice and little chicks.

He started picking up rice and letting it drop through his fingers. Sensory play is such a great way to introduce little ones to concepts such as material properties and gravity.

Toddler in orange shirt and denim overalls squats near a bin of colorful rice with plastic eggs and toy chicks, outdoors on grass. He puts some of the rice in his mouth.

He explored the rice with all his senses and even had a little taste to see what it was like. Luckily, whilst rice coloured with food colouring isn't edible, it's totally safe for babies to sample.

I always encourage my boys to spit out anything they shouldn't eat by making an over-the-top 'yuck' face and noise.

Toddler in orange shirt and denim overalls plays with colorful plastic eggs and rice in a clear bin on grass, exploring with curiosity.

Mr 4 joined in, scooping up the rice in big fistfuls and stuffing it into the fillable eggs, working his little finger muscles and improving dexterity while he played.

Hands holding a yellow plastic egg filled with colorful rice.

We had so much fun filling the eggs and using them as little shakers. Mr 4 experimented with adding different amounts to change the sound. Less rice made a lighter, higher noise, whilst more rice was louder and lower.

That's what I love about sensory bins, you can have all kinds of unexpecting learning going on, at the same time as having lots of fun.

A toddler in orange and denim plays with colorful rice and easter eggs in a plastic bin outdoors, he watches rice fall down from above.

Mr 1 enjoyed watching me pour the rice from a height and seeing the pretty colours rain down. It made a lovely sound too. He tried to grab them as they fell - such a fun way for him to develop his hand-eye coordination!