When you hear the words ‘sensory bins’ or ‘sensory activity for preschool’ what comes to mind? Don’t be afraid to say “mess, chaos, or dried food flying everywhere”. I get it, sensory bins can be scary. If you’re still unsure of what you’re doing when it comes to sensory bins, be sure to download my free sensory bin guide here! And if you’re just scared of sensory bins, the gent ready! Because today, I’m going to address my biggest struggles when it comes to sensory bins…and some potential solutions. 

Struggle 1: Sensory activities are just too messy!

Sometimes I shy away from sensory bins or another sensory activity for preschool because I’m afraid of the mess. Let’s be clear: most sensory bins are filled with a large quantity of small items that inevitably could end up on your floor in a mess. When I face this struggle, it’s important for me to decide what my “mess tolerance” is for the moment. If I’m prepared to vacuum then any sensory bin is fair game. Maybe cleaning with a cloth sounds better, then paint is fair game. If I just want to pick up items, then pom poms are fair game. And, If I’m not prepared to do anything, then it may just be a bath day. There is a sensory activity for every level of cleanliness, you just need to decide what you can handle at the moment!

Once I’ve decided what level of mess I can handle, I try to minimize mess as much as possible. 

Tips to minimize sensory bin mess:

1. Lay down a flat sheet with a large bin. Put your sensory bin inside the large bin. This helps double contain the mess!
2. If you have a nature-safe bin, take it outside where more mess can be allowed. (How fun would a birdseed sensory bin be?!)
3. If possible, have your toddler play with their sensory bin on a carpeted area. Although a hard surface seems like it would be easier to clean, your filler will bounce all over and create a larger mess. On a carpeted area, the filler stops once it hits the ground so the mess stays more contained.
4. Does your sensory bin include paint? Work on a placemat (reusable or disposable) or wrapping paper!
5. Does your sensory bin include water? Put a towel under your bin draping down over your kids’ legs. This will help contain most of the water.

Struggle 2: My toddler puts everything in their mouth…especially during sensory play!

Not going to lie…this one is probably the struggle that irks me the most. But, it’s also the easiest hurdle to get over. I will start by saying, there are a TON of taste-safe sensory bins! If you would like your toddler to explore using their taste sense, just look up “taste safe sensory bins”. From painting with yogurt to playing with jello blocks, you will definitely find something! 

I am not the biggest fan of taste-safe sensory bins for mouth explorers. Personally, I think this is the easiest hurdle for my kids to get over because we avoid taste-safe sensory activites for preschool or save them for the high chair. 

I love sensory bins because they encourage so much exploration and they are so child-led. Being child-led however does NOT mean there are no rules. I encourage you to enforce a few rules when doing sensory bins…and here are the ones we use:

Rules for A Sensory Activity for Preschool!

1. Materials stay in the bin (no throwing or dumping)
2. Materials belong in our hands (no materials in our mouth)

So, as you see, rule #2 means we don’t put materials in our mouth, which is why I don’t do taste-safe bins. It’s too confusing for my toddlers. Here’s how we enforce this rule.

(open sensory bin) “Remember: We play with our hands.”

(toddler puts fist full of rice in their mouth) “No. Not in your mouth. Play with your hands.”

(toddler puts a toy from the bin in their mouth) “No. Not in your mouth. Play with your hands.” (remove the item from the bin)

(toddler puts fist full of rice in their mouth AGAIN) close bin. “We only play with our hands. We’re all done now”

Another great option is to put a pacifier in your kid’s mouth before you bin playing with the bin. My first took a paci and that almost always worked!

Struggle 3: I don’t have time to make sensory bins or a sensory activity for preschool!

This is probably the struggle I hear from people the most. Sensory bins CAN take time to prep…but they don’t have to. Could you take the time to dye rice and find coordinating toys to create a themed bin? YES. Could you dump some white rice in a bin with a spoon and create a sensory experience? YES! 

So solution #1: DON’T OVER-COMPLICATE IT! Some of the most loved sensory bins have been the simplest ones. (Cotton balls and spoons comes to mind)

If you want the beautifully themed bins and want to save time, check out these time saving sensory bin tips!

Time Saving Sensory Bin Tips:

1. Create your dyed fillers (rice, beans, pasta, whatever) and store them in bins or gallon bags. It’s easier to create a sensory activity for preschool if you have the filler pre-made.
2. Repurpose your filler by changing out the loose parts. (Check out the graphic below to see how you can easily change the toys in the bin to make it brand new!)
3. Have a designated bin full of “tools” for easy access. Our tools include a set of measuring cups, the learning resources tool set, assorted scoops (love these!), funnels (we use the flanges from the breast pump), and teaspoons.
4. Download my sensory bin starter guide! It will definitely help you save some time while also creating BEAUTIFUL bins!

Struggle 4: My toddler doesn’t know how to play with a sensory bin correctly

When my toddler throws materials or fills up a cup to purposely dump it on the ground, my blood definitely starts boiling. My solutions here are very similar to when a toddler puts the materials in their mouth. I usually redirect once then close the bin and move to a different activity if it happens a second time. Now, I’d love to tell you that I had to end the activity early one time and my toddler magically followed the rules every time after, but that’s simply not the case.

Let me lay it down as realistically as possible. My oldest is a boundary pusher. When we first started with sensory bins I had to end the play after about 3 minutes each time. It was a major bummer. Especially because I had spent so much time preparing these bins for her to just throw everything. After about 4 or 5 times of ending the activity early, I decided to take a break from sensory bins and try other sensory experiences.

(Which, as a side note, a sensory activity for preschool is more than just sensory bins. Watching the leaves blow in the wind, listening to the birds chirp, and going on a nature scavenger hunt are sensory experiences that are great options when sensory bins just aren’t an option!)

When I reintroduced a rice sensory bin a few months later, she was able to play for about 5-10 minutes before throwing. Slowly this time increased, with age and with enforcement of the rules. 

If your toddler is still closer to 1, it may be worth waiting on the rice and beans and sticking with pom poms! If your toddler is older, and still struggling even after you’ve enforced the rules multiple times, try playing with your toddler! Often if I scoop and pour into a cup, my toddler will do the same thing. Or give your toddler a goal! Sometimes even just putting a bowl in the middle of the bin and asking them to fill it up is enough to focus them!

Struggle 5: How do I facilitate multiple kids playing with the sensory bin?

I have 2 girls (ages 2.5 and 1) so sometimes this can be a struggle.

In terms of rules, I consider them a team. If 1 girl continuously breaks the rules, the bin is closed to both of them. This isn’t necessarily fair, but it works well in my house. I love hearing my oldest enforcing the rules to her little sister so she doesn’t have to stop playing.

In terms of activities, I consider them individuals. We use the Ikea Flisat table which has 2 spots for bins. Sometimes this means they each get their own bin. More often it means that they share a bin but have different goals. I may put letters in the bin that my 2.5 year old will match to the alphabet and  my 1 year old will sort by color. 

Another great way to differentiate bins is thru tools. I may give my 2.5 year old squeezy tweezers and my 1 year old a small scoop. They both are working on the common goal of filling a bowl, but they’re working on it in ways appropriate to their fine motor development.

I hope this helps you feel more confident in trying sensory bins with your toddlers! Don’t forget to grab my free sensory bin guide to help you set up your sensory bin from start to finish!

If you have any other struggles when it comes to a sensory activity for preschool, drop them in the comments! 

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