When you live in Saskatchewan and you don't get any snow in November and/or December, it's extremely unusual. So, sometimes that means we have to get a bit creative when the kids are desperately wanting to play with snow.
This simple winter sensory bin is a quick and easy solution to explore winter through sensory play, without having to rely on using real snow.
It's also another classic dump and play style sensory bin - like most of my other sensory bins - meaning you can be set up and ready for sensory play in mere seconds. Low prep for you. Tons of fun for the kids.
I also love that this winter themed sensory bin is a great way to work on fine motor skills.
Winter Sensory Bin: What You'll Need
Like I mentioned above, this winter sensory box is one of our classic dump and play style sensory bins where you simply dump all of the materials into a large plastic container and start playing. No extra set up is required!
Here's what we used for this snow inspired sensory bin:
- Cotton balls - They'll be the base for this sensory bin since they look like little snowballs. You can usually pick up a bag of these for super cheap at the dollar store. How much you'll need will depend on the size of your container.
- Winter foam shapes - I added snowflakes and glitter snowmen that I found at our local Dollarama.
- Fine motor tools for scooping - We like this fine motor tool set, but you can also just use tongs, scoops, and spoons from your kitchen.
To set up the sensory bin, add the cotton balls to a large plastic container. Then add the winter foam shapes on top, like so:
Toddlers & Preschoolers Will Love this Wintery Cotton Ball Sensory Bin!
Personally, I always like to set the fine motor tools outside of the sensory bin container. However, you can toss them in too, if you'd prefer. As you can see below, I've included a pair of squeeze tongs, a pair of scissor tongs, and a small plastic cup.
Since the scissor tongs have been a favorite for my kids for years, it was no surprise that my youngest K went straight for them. He wanted to scoop up all of the "snowballs," as he called the cotton balls.
And he liked to use them to chomp the snowmen's heads (see below). Unrelated, but check out those eyelashes on K! Also, the shirt he's wearing seems fitting too...It says official hot chocolate taster. There's nothing better than some hot chocolate on a cold, snowy day.
Anyway, back to the sensory bin...He enjoyed picking up the different snowflakes, one by one, with the scissor tongs.
However, it wasn't long before K ditched the fine motor tools altogether, opting instead for some bigger tactile sensory exploration. Seriously, it's not unusual for my kids to eventually climb into sensory bins or get their full body involved in some way.
Soon he was picking up armfuls of snowballs...
...and dropping them to let it snow. Of course, this would be repeated for quite some time.
Overall, this winter sensory bin was a huge hit for my son. But that's not surprising considering we put this bin together after the success of this Christmas sensory bin that uses similar materials.
