There's just something about playing with water. My kids can't get enough of it.
So, whenever my kids are bored and I need a quick activity to preoccupy them, I often put together a simple water play activity for them. Usually it is inspired by the current season, their current interests, or uses something I already have on hand.
Since it's fall, I opted for a fall themed sensory soup. And this pumpkin and acorn sensory bin was the result.
I seriously love sensory bins like these because they require zero prep from me and can be put together in seconds. But, most importantly, my kids love them! So let's go ahead and take a closer look at this activity.
What You'll Need for this Pumpkin & Acorn Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is one of our classic sensory soups, where a few simple items are paired with water and some kitchen tools. Here's what we used:
- Water - How much you'll need will depend on the size of your container.
- Acrylic pumpkins and acorns - You can find these at the dollar store and Michaels. You could also substitute foam fall shapes or even some real acorns instead if you'd prefer.
- Bowl (optional, but more fun) - My kids always like to have another container to dump and pour water and materials into and out of.
- Kitchen utensils (optional, but more fun) - I added a large spoon, ladle, and whisk, but you can include measuring cups, measuring spoons, and more!
To set up this activity, simply add water to a large plastic container, add the pumpkins and acorns, and set the kitchen tools and bowl close by. Then it's ready for playing.
This Pumpkin & Acorn Sensory Bin is Perfect for Preschoolers & Toddlers!
My boys particularly enjoy scooping up all the water that they can using the large spoon and ladle. They usually aim to fill up the bowl that I supply, simply so they can dump out all of the water. Scoop and dump. Scoop and dump. And repeat.
Of course, they also add lots all of the pumpkins and acorns to the bowl. Sometimes they would count the number of scoops it would take to fill the bowl and sometimes they would count the number of items in each scoop. And other times they would be quiet or just narrate what they were doing.
They would always be sure to top off the bowl with even more water. You know, for good measure.
And stop to admire the bubbles from time to time...Look at all those bubbles!
Then they would dump the contents of the bowl back into the sensory bin container and start all over again. Like I said, scoop, pour, and repeat until bored.
My boys never tire of these sensory soup style activities and this pumpkin and acorn sensory bin was no different. They were engaged and happy for quite some time with this activity. I hope your kids enjoy it as much as mine did.
