![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-1.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>What is a sensory bin?<\/strong><\/h3>Tub or container filled with materials carefully selected to stimulate senses.<\/p>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-4.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>Why use sensory bins?<\/strong><\/h3>Because they are FUN and ENGAGING for all. And you can target…<\/p>
Expressive\/Receptive Language:<\/strong><\/p>- Expand vocabulary (nouns, verbs, adjectives)<\/li>
- Find objects (e.g. \u201cWhere is the __<\/em>?\u201d)<\/li>
- Following directions (e.g. \u201cPut beans in the bowl and dump it out\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>
Social\/Play Skills:<\/strong><\/p>- Take turns and share objects<\/li>
- Asking for objects<\/li>
- Commenting on what each person is doing<\/li>
- Pretend play<\/li>
- Conversation (e.g. \u201cI like the _<\/em>. What do you like?\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>
Articulation:<\/strong><\/p>- Find objects\/materials with the targeted sound (e.g. \u201csand\u201d for \/s\/, \u201ccars\u201d for \/k\/)<\/li><\/ul>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-6.png\")
<\/figure><\/div>How can I make one?<\/strong><\/h3>Buy a small or large tub (usually $2-10) and fill it with different materials and textures:<\/p>
- Soft:<\/strong> cotton balls, kinetic sand, feathers, marshmallows, pompoms<\/li>
- Squishy:<\/strong> packing peanuts, cooked pasta, squishy toys, sponges<\/li>
- Hard: <\/strong>beans, corn, rice, pasta, aquarium rocks, buttons, shells, beads, wood, Legos, chickpeas<\/li>
- Wet:<\/strong> ice cubes, water, jelly beads, shaving cream, gelatin<\/li>
- Objects:<\/strong> puzzle pieces, cars, balls, animal figures, shovels, scoopers, tongs, blocks, magnets, bowls<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/p>
Want to share? \u00a0<\/strong>This article is a sharable PDF as well.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>
Sensory Bin Inspiration!<\/strong><\/h3>Here are some of our favorite sensory bins we’ve created.<\/p>
Winter Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>When winter-themed decorations go on clearance at the craft stores, our therapists stock up! Here are ways you can use winter-themed items to target speech and language skills<\/p>
- Prepositions and following directions<\/li>
- Categories<\/li>
- Adjectives and describing<\/li>
- Answering questions<\/li>
- Story creation\/narration<\/li>
- Vocabulary<\/li><\/ul>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-9.png\")
<\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-10.png\")
<\/figure>
Fall Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>This fall-themed sensory bin is perfect, especially if you love pumpkins!<\/p>
- Basic Concepts: <\/strong>Describe the size, texture and color of the fall items like pumpkins, apples and leaves. Sort by similar features to practice \u201csame\u201d and \u201cdifferent\u201d.<\/li>
- Pretend play:<\/strong> Gather pumpkins and apples from you sensory bin for a fall harvest! Help your child think of the ingredients needed to make fruit pies for your feast.<\/li>
- Articulation:<\/strong> Hide small fall-themed objects or pictures under the black bean dirt. Practice speech sounds as your child discovers hidden items and then make sentences with those words. This is also a great way to target seasonal vocabulary!<\/li><\/ul>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-11.png\")
<\/figure>
Farm & Vegetable Sensory Bin<\/h4>
We used this sensory bin in group therapy and our students had a blast. You can use this as a group of friends or family.<\/p>
- Speech:<\/strong> animal sounds are an excellent way to get our little ones exploring early consonant-vowel combinations ( like \u201cmoo, oink, baa, neigh\u201d) and Old MacDonald provides a perfect opportunity to practice vowels when singing \u201ce-i-e-i-o\u201d.<\/li>
- Social Language: <\/strong>we made a \u201cgarden salad\u201d for our animals to enjoy. Students labeled vegetables they found hiding in the corn and told the group which were their favorites. Everyone took turns asking follow-up questions to find out how peers liked to cook their vegetables and which of their favorite meals have vegetables. We learned our students love salad! <\/li><\/ul>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-12.png\")
<\/figure>
Summer Sensory Bin<\/h4>
We created two sensory bins we could pair with some favorite summer-themed books to practice<\/p>
- Articulation: <\/strong>Hide items that contain your child\u2019s speech sounds in the rice or kinetic sand<\/li>
- Vocabulary:<\/strong> Describe the size, shape, color and other attributes of the objects found<\/li>
- Imaginative Play: <\/strong>Create an ocean-themed birthday party using kinetic sand and shells to make a birthday cake, decorations and presents<\/li><\/ul>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-13.png\")
<\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-14.png\")
<\/figure>
Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>This bin was inspired by The Autism Helper<\/a>. It uses dessert matching and rainbow rice to help students practice<\/p>- Following multiple step directions<\/li>
- Self-advocacy (i.e. asking for help)<\/li>
- Picture description<\/li><\/ul>
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-7.png\")
<\/figure>![\"\"](\"https:\/\/columbusspeech.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/04\/sensory-bin-8.png\")
For templates visit The Autism Helper<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>
Check out our\u00a0Pinterest page<\/a>\u00a0and Instagram page<\/a> for more sensory bin inspiration and fun activities to target speech therapy goals in the home.<\/p>
<\/figure><\/div>Why use sensory bins?<\/strong><\/h3>Because they are FUN and ENGAGING for all. And you can target…<\/p>
Expressive\/Receptive Language:<\/strong><\/p>- Expand vocabulary (nouns, verbs, adjectives)<\/li>
- Find objects (e.g. \u201cWhere is the __<\/em>?\u201d)<\/li>
- Following directions (e.g. \u201cPut beans in the bowl and dump it out\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>
Social\/Play Skills:<\/strong><\/p>- Take turns and share objects<\/li>
- Asking for objects<\/li>
- Commenting on what each person is doing<\/li>
- Pretend play<\/li>
- Conversation (e.g. \u201cI like the _<\/em>. What do you like?\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>
Articulation:<\/strong><\/p>- Find objects\/materials with the targeted sound (e.g. \u201csand\u201d for \/s\/, \u201ccars\u201d for \/k\/)<\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure><\/div>How can I make one?<\/strong><\/h3>Buy a small or large tub (usually $2-10) and fill it with different materials and textures:<\/p>
- Soft:<\/strong> cotton balls, kinetic sand, feathers, marshmallows, pompoms<\/li>
- Squishy:<\/strong> packing peanuts, cooked pasta, squishy toys, sponges<\/li>
- Hard: <\/strong>beans, corn, rice, pasta, aquarium rocks, buttons, shells, beads, wood, Legos, chickpeas<\/li>
- Wet:<\/strong> ice cubes, water, jelly beads, shaving cream, gelatin<\/li>
- Objects:<\/strong> puzzle pieces, cars, balls, animal figures, shovels, scoopers, tongs, blocks, magnets, bowls<\/li><\/ul><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>
<\/p>
Want to share? \u00a0<\/strong>This article is a sharable PDF as well.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>
Sensory Bin Inspiration!<\/strong><\/h3>Here are some of our favorite sensory bins we’ve created.<\/p>
Winter Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>When winter-themed decorations go on clearance at the craft stores, our therapists stock up! Here are ways you can use winter-themed items to target speech and language skills<\/p>
- Prepositions and following directions<\/li>
- Categories<\/li>
- Adjectives and describing<\/li>
- Answering questions<\/li>
- Story creation\/narration<\/li>
- Vocabulary<\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure><\/figure>
Fall Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>This fall-themed sensory bin is perfect, especially if you love pumpkins!<\/p>
- Basic Concepts: <\/strong>Describe the size, texture and color of the fall items like pumpkins, apples and leaves. Sort by similar features to practice \u201csame\u201d and \u201cdifferent\u201d.<\/li>
- Pretend play:<\/strong> Gather pumpkins and apples from you sensory bin for a fall harvest! Help your child think of the ingredients needed to make fruit pies for your feast.<\/li>
- Articulation:<\/strong> Hide small fall-themed objects or pictures under the black bean dirt. Practice speech sounds as your child discovers hidden items and then make sentences with those words. This is also a great way to target seasonal vocabulary!<\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure>
Farm & Vegetable Sensory Bin<\/h4>
We used this sensory bin in group therapy and our students had a blast. You can use this as a group of friends or family.<\/p>
- Speech:<\/strong> animal sounds are an excellent way to get our little ones exploring early consonant-vowel combinations ( like \u201cmoo, oink, baa, neigh\u201d) and Old MacDonald provides a perfect opportunity to practice vowels when singing \u201ce-i-e-i-o\u201d.<\/li>
- Social Language: <\/strong>we made a \u201cgarden salad\u201d for our animals to enjoy. Students labeled vegetables they found hiding in the corn and told the group which were their favorites. Everyone took turns asking follow-up questions to find out how peers liked to cook their vegetables and which of their favorite meals have vegetables. We learned our students love salad! <\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure>
Summer Sensory Bin<\/h4>
We created two sensory bins we could pair with some favorite summer-themed books to practice<\/p>
- Articulation: <\/strong>Hide items that contain your child\u2019s speech sounds in the rice or kinetic sand<\/li>
- Vocabulary:<\/strong> Describe the size, shape, color and other attributes of the objects found<\/li>
- Imaginative Play: <\/strong>Create an ocean-themed birthday party using kinetic sand and shells to make a birthday cake, decorations and presents<\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure><\/figure>
Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>This bin was inspired by The Autism Helper<\/a>. It uses dessert matching and rainbow rice to help students practice<\/p>- Following multiple step directions<\/li>
- Self-advocacy (i.e. asking for help)<\/li>
- Picture description<\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure>For templates visit The Autism Helper<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure>
Check out our\u00a0Pinterest page<\/a>\u00a0and Instagram page<\/a> for more sensory bin inspiration and fun activities to target speech therapy goals in the home.<\/p>
- Expand vocabulary (nouns, verbs, adjectives)<\/li>
- Find objects (e.g. \u201cWhere is the __<\/em>?\u201d)<\/li>
- Following directions (e.g. \u201cPut beans in the bowl and dump it out\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>
Social\/Play Skills:<\/strong><\/p>
- Take turns and share objects<\/li>
- Asking for objects<\/li>
- Commenting on what each person is doing<\/li>
- Pretend play<\/li>
- Conversation (e.g. \u201cI like the _<\/em>. What do you like?\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>
Articulation:<\/strong><\/p>
- Find objects\/materials with the targeted sound (e.g. \u201csand\u201d for \/s\/, \u201ccars\u201d for \/k\/)<\/li><\/ul><\/figure><\/div>
How can I make one?<\/strong><\/h3>
Buy a small or large tub (usually $2-10) and fill it with different materials and textures:<\/p>
- Soft:<\/strong> cotton balls, kinetic sand, feathers, marshmallows, pompoms<\/li>
- Squishy:<\/strong> packing peanuts, cooked pasta, squishy toys, sponges<\/li>
- Hard: <\/strong>beans, corn, rice, pasta, aquarium rocks, buttons, shells, beads, wood, Legos, chickpeas<\/li>
- Wet:<\/strong> ice cubes, water, jelly beads, shaving cream, gelatin<\/li>
- Objects:<\/strong> puzzle pieces, cars, balls, animal figures, shovels, scoopers, tongs, blocks, magnets, bowls<\/li><\/ul>
<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/p>
Want to share? \u00a0<\/strong>This article is a sharable PDF as well.<\/a> <\/em><\/p>
Sensory Bin Inspiration!<\/strong><\/h3>
Here are some of our favorite sensory bins we’ve created.<\/p>
Winter Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>
When winter-themed decorations go on clearance at the craft stores, our therapists stock up! Here are ways you can use winter-themed items to target speech and language skills<\/p>
- Prepositions and following directions<\/li>
- Categories<\/li>
- Adjectives and describing<\/li>
- Answering questions<\/li>
- Story creation\/narration<\/li>
- Vocabulary<\/li><\/ul><\/figure><\/figure>
Fall Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>
This fall-themed sensory bin is perfect, especially if you love pumpkins!<\/p>
- Basic Concepts: <\/strong>Describe the size, texture and color of the fall items like pumpkins, apples and leaves. Sort by similar features to practice \u201csame\u201d and \u201cdifferent\u201d.<\/li>
- Pretend play:<\/strong> Gather pumpkins and apples from you sensory bin for a fall harvest! Help your child think of the ingredients needed to make fruit pies for your feast.<\/li>
- Articulation:<\/strong> Hide small fall-themed objects or pictures under the black bean dirt. Practice speech sounds as your child discovers hidden items and then make sentences with those words. This is also a great way to target seasonal vocabulary!<\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure>Farm & Vegetable Sensory Bin<\/h4>
We used this sensory bin in group therapy and our students had a blast. You can use this as a group of friends or family.<\/p>
- Speech:<\/strong> animal sounds are an excellent way to get our little ones exploring early consonant-vowel combinations ( like \u201cmoo, oink, baa, neigh\u201d) and Old MacDonald provides a perfect opportunity to practice vowels when singing \u201ce-i-e-i-o\u201d.<\/li>
- Social Language: <\/strong>we made a \u201cgarden salad\u201d for our animals to enjoy. Students labeled vegetables they found hiding in the corn and told the group which were their favorites. Everyone took turns asking follow-up questions to find out how peers liked to cook their vegetables and which of their favorite meals have vegetables. We learned our students love salad! <\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure>Summer Sensory Bin<\/h4>
We created two sensory bins we could pair with some favorite summer-themed books to practice<\/p>
- Articulation: <\/strong>Hide items that contain your child\u2019s speech sounds in the rice or kinetic sand<\/li>
- Vocabulary:<\/strong> Describe the size, shape, color and other attributes of the objects found<\/li>
- Imaginative Play: <\/strong>Create an ocean-themed birthday party using kinetic sand and shells to make a birthday cake, decorations and presents<\/li><\/ul>
<\/figure><\/figure>Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin<\/strong><\/h4>
This bin was inspired by The Autism Helper<\/a>. It uses dessert matching and rainbow rice to help students practice<\/p>
- Following multiple step directions<\/li>
- Self-advocacy (i.e. asking for help)<\/li>
- Picture description<\/li><\/ul><\/figure>
For templates visit The Autism Helper<\/a><\/figcaption><\/figure> Check out our\u00a0Pinterest page<\/a>\u00a0and Instagram page<\/a> for more sensory bin inspiration and fun activities to target speech therapy goals in the home.<\/p>
- Vocabulary:<\/strong> Describe the size, shape, color and other attributes of the objects found<\/li>
- Social Language: <\/strong>we made a \u201cgarden salad\u201d for our animals to enjoy. Students labeled vegetables they found hiding in the corn and told the group which were their favorites. Everyone took turns asking follow-up questions to find out how peers liked to cook their vegetables and which of their favorite meals have vegetables. We learned our students love salad! <\/li><\/ul>
- Pretend play:<\/strong> Gather pumpkins and apples from you sensory bin for a fall harvest! Help your child think of the ingredients needed to make fruit pies for your feast.<\/li>
- Basic Concepts: <\/strong>Describe the size, texture and color of the fall items like pumpkins, apples and leaves. Sort by similar features to practice \u201csame\u201d and \u201cdifferent\u201d.<\/li>
- Squishy:<\/strong> packing peanuts, cooked pasta, squishy toys, sponges<\/li>
- Soft:<\/strong> cotton balls, kinetic sand, feathers, marshmallows, pompoms<\/li>
- Find objects\/materials with the targeted sound (e.g. \u201csand\u201d for \/s\/, \u201ccars\u201d for \/k\/)<\/li><\/ul>
- Following directions (e.g. \u201cPut beans in the bowl and dump it out\u201d)<\/li><\/ul>