5 Tips for Sensory Bin Organization

You may, or may not know this about me, but I LOVE sensory bins!   Not only do they provide a unique sensory experience, but they are a fantastic way to build vocabulary and strengthen fine motor skills.  Best of all… the kids have no idea that they are learning!

Over the years I have built up quite the collection of sensory bin materials.  In order to make it quick and easy to change the bins out, I need to keep everything organized.  Here are some tips and tricks that I have learned to make managing the materials a bit easier.

1. Keep the base materials separate from the goodies. This saves space and allows you to create new combinations of sensory bins.
2. Use zip top bags to store your themed materials.  It’s not fancy… It’s not pretty… but it gets the job done.  I like to store all of my bags in larger tubs.  Some of the bags are seasonal, and some are aligned to our reading curriculum.
3. Keep an extra bin for shovels, tweezers, cups, and tubes.  These tools are a great addition to the sensory bins and since they are not specific to a theme, I like to keep them separate.
4. Have an extra sensory bin available so that you always have one in use and another that is in “restocking mode.”  
5. Put your kids to work.  On the last day that the bin will be used, have your students pull out all of the goodies and put them back into the storage bag.  

How do your organize your sensory bin materials? Please share!

Building Independence Through Play

I don’t know about you, but most of the kids that I have worked with over the years are extremely social.  I love to see them interacting with their peers, and their outgoing nature makes for some fun, collaborative learning opportunities!

Since my students love to interact with one another, as well as the staff in the classroom, they tend to have trouble with independent work time.  I have also noticed that they have trouble with independent leisure activities.  Whether it is reading a book on their own, drawing, or playing with a toy after they complete their work, they just want to interact with everyone around them.  Many of my families also have trouble with this at home.  They have found it difficult to step away to use the bathroom, cook dinner, or clean up the house without their children seeking their attention.

We quite often focus on building independence during work tasks and increasing our students’ self-help skills (feeding, dressing, etc.).  We should be focusing on independence during leisure time as well!

A few years ago, I started putting together some “break bins.”  These bins were filled with activities and toys that my students could play with on their own.  I taught my expectations and added break bin time to our afternoon rotations.  Let me tell you… my kids love it!

Most of the activities in the bins are from thrift stores or toys that my son no longer plays with.  I also like to include art and sensory materials such as play-doh, floam, kinetic sand, and rice. I am often surprised by which toys get the most love.  Who would have thought that stamps, stencils, and markers would have been such a big hit!?!

Depending on the student, I have different expectations for the amount of time that they need to play with the bin before they can switch.  Some of my students choose a bin and play with it for the full 15 minutes.  Other students want to swap out the bin every 30 seconds.  I typically provide a sand timer for these students.  They can flip the timer on their own and they know that they can clean up and pick out a new bin as soon as the time is up.  

The break bins have also come in handy for last-minute changes in the schedule.  Do you have an unexpected 5 minutes to fill before lunch?  Did you have to cancel a lesson because of a fire drill?  Are the adults needed elsewhere to address the behavior of another student?  Grab a break bin!

How do you incorporate independent play into your classroom? Please share!