Sensory Box Fun

Sensory box filled with dry pinto beans

Sensory box filled with dry long grained white rice

                



















As an educator, I know the importance of learning through touch and working on fine motor coordination. I also have learned that in early education, this is often done through a sensory box or station. I remember in preschool LOVING the water table, or coming in to see what fun things I could find under piles of sand, beans, rice, noodles and etc.

As a mama and neat-freak, the words "Sensory Box" makes me nervous with the possible mess that could happen within the first 3 seconds of Levi exploring.

Then I asked myself a question that I often ask myself in all areas of life, "What is the worst thing that could happen?"

My two worse case scenarios were:
1)  Levi would dump the box all over the floor and I would have to clean it up.
2) Levi would eat whatever I used as my sensory station "filler".

 I decide, both worse case scenarios weren't going to send us to the emergency room (one may be inconvenient to me) so I went with it. I introduced Levi's first Sensory box to him when he was 18 months old.

Outcomes: 
- Levi LOVED it
- He did so well with keeping the rice/pinto beans in the blue box
- The first time he played, he sat for 20 minutes straight (which is like 5 hours in toddler time)
- Each time he plays, I see progress with his fine motor skills of pouring, digging, holding different size spoons and utensils to scoop and using problem solving skills.
- playing hide and seek with his trucks is his current favorite game

I often make excuses that Levi is "too young" to try new things. This activity was helpful for me to see as long as Levi is safe, I can try new things with him. If he isn't interested yet, we will put it away for a later time. It's my job to expose Levi to new experiences and learning opportunities.


Items needed to make: 
- large container (found this blue box at On a Whim Antiques in Lucketts, VA.)
- 5 lb. bag of dry long-grained white rice (bought at Grocery Store) OR
- 4 lbs of dry pinto beans (bought at Dollar Store)
- plastic kitchen or play kitchen utensils and bowls for scooping
- plastic toys/trucks/cars to play hide and seek
- thicker plastic table cloth (we didn't use this, but have one on hand to put under the box if needed)

I switched to a new sensory box filler once I saw Levi wasn't as interested in it.

Next box fillers we will try: 
-dry noodles (various shapes and sizes)
- dry chick peas
-cut straws
-fish gravel
-seeds
-plastic beads
-dying the rice, beans, chickpeas and noodles into fun colors!



Have any other good filler ideas? Would love to know!