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A Garden Sensory Bin is a great way to introduce kids to the concept of gardening. From learning how to plant seeds to understanding that we get much of our food from the ground and also identifying the creatures you might see in your garden. This garden sensory bin will get lots of play time with your preschooler or toddler!
We made our Garden Play Sensory Bin to enjoy while reading Up In The Garden Down in The Dirt. This book takes a look at everything going on in, below, and above the garden.
Garden Play Sensory Bin
You will need:
- a large shallow plastic tub
- clean garden or potting soil
- plastic fruits and vegetables
- Plastic animals
- plastic bugs
- plastic birds
- small pots
- garden tools or spoons
- seeds
Start your sensory bin by filling it halfway with clean potting or garden soil.
Next add some fruits and vegetables, bugs, and garden critters- you can use play ones from your toys but we really love the size and quality of Safari LTD Toobs and use those with some other veggies I picked up from a craft store.
Add miniture pots for filling and seeds as well if you like. We used a kitchen spoon for digging but small garden tools work well too!
As we play we talk about how seeds turn into plants, we discuss bugs we may see in the garden and whether they are helpful or harmful. We talk about garden critters like rabbits, birds, gophers, etc…. that may disturb or help in the garden.
Take what you have learned and head out to the real garden with your kids or just use it as a fun activity to supplement a garden unit study. Try out our other spring garden activity- Sprouting Seeds.
Celebrate the beauty of spring flowers, rain showers and sprouting gardens with these playful learning activities.
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