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  • Hi, I'm Vicky, the founder and content creator at Mess For Less. If you are looking for family-friendly recipes, recipes that kids can make, and play and learning activities for kids, you will find them at Mess For Less. I invite you to learn more about me. Thanks for stopping by!

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    Home » Sensory Activities

    Garden Sensory Bin

    Published: May 2, 2018 · Modified: Sep 21, 2022 by Vicky · This post contains affiliate links.

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    With the weather warming up, the kids have gotten interested in all the flowers growing outdoors. Inspired by our surroundings, I created a garden sensory bin for my kids to explore. It was easy to do and the kids got to get their hands dirty and a do a little Spring "planting" of their own. Read on to see how simple it is to create an outdoor sensory play experience. For more fun with sensory bins check out Simple Sensory Bin Ideas.

    Create a garden sensory bin that kids will love. Perfect for Spring and so easy to put together.
    Jump to:
    • Why your kids will love this spring garden sensory bin
    • Supplies you will need
    • How to make a planting sensory bin
    • Frequently asked questions
    • How can kids learn in a hands-on way?
    • Related posts

    Please be sure to supervise toddlers, preschoolers and young children when doing this sensory activity.

    Why your kids will love this spring garden sensory bin

    • Can practice planting
    • Many kids have fun playing in dirt
    • Can play again and again resulting in hours of imaginative play

    Supplies you will need

    • Soil
    • foam Flowers (artificial or cut)
    • Rocks
    • Shovels
    • Pots
    • Plastic bin 

    How to make a planting sensory bin

    I bought a bag of potting soil and dumped it in a bin. I added some rocks and artificial colorful flowers and gave the kids some shovels and pots.

    garden sensory bin

    I was curious to see how they would explore the soil in the sensory bin. One of my twins was loving the feeling of the soil on her hands as she poked holes to "plant" some flowers. She also had fun fishing out the rocks and counting them. I took this opportunity to also teach her about the different parts of a flower.

    child working in a garden sensory bin

    My youngest loved to dig and scoop the dirt with her shovel into a pot. She did this very carefully so she would not spill any dirt on the ground.

    making a garden sensory bin

    She worked diligently until she filled up the entire pot.

    child placing dirt in pot

    She then proceeded to "plant" some flowers in her pot. This activity really got my kids interested in planting a real garden.

    child planting artificial flowers

    The garden sensory bin was a hit and my kids had a blast! If you do this with your kids make sure you take time to stop and smell the flowers.

    child smelling flowers

    Frequently asked questions

    What else can I add to my garden sensory box?

    Plastic bugs or critters would be a great addition, along with some fake leaves.

    Can I make this homemade sensory bin with real flowers?

    You can, but know that it probably won't last long. Using artificial flowers allows you to do this activity again and again.

    How can kids learn in a hands-on way?

    If your kids love travel or science, then Little Passports the is the perfect subscription box for your child. My kids love to explore, and this subscription box contains so many engaging activities for kids. I think even kids who haven’t traveled would enjoy getting the world delivered to their mailbox. Plus, Little Passports also offers science and stem based subscription boxes designed to get kids started on a lifelong journey of learning. Little Passports has boxes for kids as young as 3 to as old as 12. Check out subscription options here.

    Related posts

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    • Creative Play with Water Beads
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    Reader Interactions

    Comments

    1. Sadye

      March 29, 2022 at 2:55 am

      4 stars
      Excellent post. I'm experiencing a few of these issues as
      well..

    2. Vicky

      November 28, 2016 at 10:32 am

      Just an ordinary basic potting soil will work. It is usually the cheapest one they sell.

    3. SmithenWesson

      November 26, 2016 at 12:04 am

      what kind of soil do you use? [we live in a big city, so no back yards]. I'm clueless when I get to Home Depot or Osh Hardware, what kind of soil?

    4. Vicky

      April 21, 2016 at 10:10 am

      Barb, I stored it with the cover on in the shade. It lasted a few weeks. Hope you have fun with it!

    5. Barb

      April 21, 2016 at 3:20 am

      I love this idea! How did you store your bin? Just with a lid and how long would you say it lasted? I have a lid for mine and I don't want it to get icky before I get rid of it.
      Thank you!

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    Hi, I'm Vicky, the founder and content creator at Mess For Less. If you are looking for family-friendly recipes, recipes that kids can make, and play and learning activities for kids, you will find them at Mess For Less. I invite you to learn more about me. Thanks for stopping by!

    Valentine's Day Activities and Recipes

    • Valentine’s Dessert Cheese Ball
    • Valentine's Brownie Cake Pops
    • Valentine's Chocolate Covered Pretzels
    • Valentine Ideas for Kids - Glitter Hearts

    Winter Activities

    • Q-Tip Painted Snowman Craft
    • Winter Shaving Cream Paint
    • Pinecone Snowman Craft
    • Melted Snowman Craft

    Popular Recipes

    • Crack Chicken Casserole
    • Overnight Egg Casserole
    • Toasted Italian Sandwich - Food Fun Friday
    • Chicken Broccoli Alfredo Bake

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