Want a simple way to keep your kiddo busy with no technology? Do you want to engage them in sensory play that works on fine motor skills but don't want a gooey mess? Try this mini sensory box that is super easy to put together and best of all it doesn't cost much! This box is highly versatile because there are so many different activities you could use this for depending on your child's age and interests. Don't try this though if your child is still putting things in their mouth. I will do another post in the future with ideas for baby sensory box ideas.
Now in the past I had a much larger box that my daughter could even sit inside. She loved it and would spend a ton of time playing in it. We used it almost like an indoor sand box at the time. She did tend to get the beans all down the hallway but I could easily pick them up and store the box under my bed. However after my second daughter was born the box had to go. I didn't want her to grab and try eating any of the beans so we haven't had it out for a while.
I still wanted my oldest to be able to enjoy it and had to come up with something a little different. Our solution was simple, we opted for this smaller version that is easy to pull out and set up on the floor or kitchen table. It's more contained and easy for my oldest to still enjoy but it is safely away from tiny baby hands now.
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All that you need for this activity box is a small container like this one from Amazon, filler such as dry beans, popcorn kernels, rice or you could even do sand if you would like, and some random scoopers, bowls or measuring cups you probably have laying around the house. In total this cost me about $8 to put together. I only had to buy the beans and box because I already had extra measuring cups in my kitchen and then we used some of my daughter's toys for the activities.
I also decided on this shallow box because it fits nicely in the hall closet and doesn't really take up that much room. Plus the lower sides make it easier for my daughter to interact with the box when it is up on a table. However taller boxes could work perfectly fine too.
Here are four easy activity ideas you can use your sensory box for:
Alphabet search
Take any small letters, we used some from a puzzle, and hide them in the box. I love this Melissa and Doug puzzle because it's vibrant and made out of wood (check out the link below!). Let your little one find them, have them say the name or the sound the letter makes and then have them put the alphabet in order if they know it. You can also add small tongs so your child can work on their fine motor skills while picking up the letters.
Dino Dig
If you have a dinosaur lover they will probably like this one. We have a bucket with small dinosaurs that we used for this one. We buried them and pretended we were digging up fossils. After that my daughter Lily liked creating a little dinosaur play scene so use your imagination.
Plant a Garden
All you need for this one is some play food and paper. Let your little one make small signs for each type of vegetable (or whatever food you plant) then put the food in the bin. My daughter likes this because she like's pretending she has her own garden. She even gets her stuffed rabbit toy involved- he always seems to steal our carrots. If you need some really durable awesome play food check out this set from Learning Resources!
Bug Bin
Along the same lines as the Dino Dig, you can use toy bugs that you can hide in the box. If you have any, let your child use a small set of tongs to try grabbing the bugs out of the beans. This will work their hand muscles and is a great way working their fine motor skills. To add a more educational aspect to the activity I like to have my kiddo sort the bugs by type or color and count how many we have of each. We have these durable and colorful Melissa and Doug bugs that are just too cute (link below).
I hope you try a few of these activities and have some fun with your children. If you tried any of these ideas leave a comment below. What did you or your child think? Please also don’t forget to subscribe for future posts and ideas.