Kickstart hands-on learning in your classroom with the Fall Sensory Bin! This activity is the perfect way to introduce sensory-based explorations to your students and encourage open-ended play as they manipulate materials of various sizes, shapes, smells, and textures. Children will love experiencing fall up close as they explore their senses, scoop, and sort the fall-inspired objects in the Fall Sensory Bin.
What is a Fall Sensory Bin?
The Fall Sensory Bin is a center for developmental growth where play coincides with learning! This open-ended sensory experience encourages children to use their senses to explore new textures, colors, and smells on their own terms. The Fall Sensory Bin is the perfect foundation for interdisciplinary learning! When you allow children to engage in sensory play, they are able to learn from hands-on experience, which gives them the opportunity to think creatively, investigate new ideas, and participate in dramatic play.
Why is Sensory Play Important?
Do you support sensory experiences in your classroom? In order for young children to explore and understand new information, they must exercise the use of their senses. Sensory play is an engaging way of stimulating a child's senses through touch, sight, taste, smell, or hearing to naturally facilitate learning. It is important to provide opportunities for sensory play because it fosters cognitive, language, and fine and gross motor development in children. It also empowers young learners to problem solve, think critically, and build skills for positive social and emotional health.
How Can I Use This in My Lesson Plan?
The learning possibilities are endless with the Fall Sensory Bin! Incorporate STEM into this sensory exploration by encouraging children to predict how different textures might feel, make observations about their color, size, and smell, and record what they've found to share as a group. This sensory experience is also the perfect time to encourage dramatic play. Let students take charge as they gather, scoop, sort, and play with the different sensory elements in the Fall Sensory Bin—there's something fun to explore with every new material you add!
Download our FREE printable below!