We love these colorful, fluttery insects. We try to catch them with nets, observe them with magnifying glasses, and even grow them in butterfly egg hatcheries. Butterflies are fascinating creatures. So help your kids explore more about butterflies with this easy butterfly sensory bin.
A sensory bin is a container filled with small items that provide stimulation to multiple senses. So it will have bright colors (visual stimulation), it might have things that rattle or rustle (audio stimulation), it might have a scented component (olfactory stimulation), and it will probably have multiple textures. It might even vary in temperature as well, and some sensory bins are also edible.
This easy butterfly sensory bin is perfect for early elementary, but probably not that good for toddler or early preschoolers. Always use a sensory bin with supervision!
Recommended Butterfly Books
One of the best ways to make any sensory bin, like this easy butterfly sensory bin, into a great educational experience is to pair it up with related reading. Here’s a selection of some of our favorite spring butterfly books!
Explore My World Butterflies
My, Oh My–A Butterfly!: All About Butterflies (Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library)Ten Magic ButterfliesNational Geographic Readers: Caterpillar to ButterflyA Butterfly Is Patient: (Nature Books for Kids, Children’s Books Ages 3-5, Award Winning Children’s Books)Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt: (Nature Book for Kids, Gardening and Vegetable Planting, Outdoor Nature Book)
Recommended Butterfly Kits
Our easy butterfly sensory bin is a great introduction to your studies on butterflies! Keep the learning fun going with some of these amazing butterfly kits. Whether you choose to grow your own butterflies, observe a model set of them, or catch some in the wild to study before releasing again, there’s a kit for all ages and abilities. It’s a great way to get outside and get into nature too.
Insect Lore Butterfly FarmInsect Lore Platinum Edition Butterfly Pavilion Kit, GreenJOLLY SWEETS Outdoor Exploration Kit 16 Pcs Set, Kids-Nature Adventure Toys Bug Kit, Backpack, Butterfly Net Catcher, Bug Catcher, Bug Viewer with Magnifier, Binoculars,Boy and Girl Explorer Kit.
Supplies:
To create your easy butterfly sensory bin, you’ll need:
- Large Plastic Bin
- Foam Beads
- Pom Poms
- Artificial Flowers
- Butterfly Cut-Outs
Directions:
Start by spreading a thin layer of foam beads on the bottom of your large plastic container. Cover the bottom, but don’t add too many. You’ll want to leave room for the rest of your sensory items.
Now add pom poms. We used the same color as the foam beads, as you can see, because we wanted to focus on texture. You could add a variety of colors here to create more sensory stimulation.
Then add in a few artificial flowers. These could be silk flowers or paper based, and could also be different colors, if you wanted. You could even scent them lightly by adding a drop or two of essential oils.
Finally, place your butterflies around the bin. We had a lot of different sizes and kinds of butterflies to compare and contrast.
Play with the easy butterfly sensory bin!
Now your child can explore all the supplies and treasures included in your sensory bin. Wasn’t that easy?
My son picked up the butterflies and acted as if they were flying. He enjoyed feeling the foam beads squish together. He pretended to smell the flowers.
Get your kids hooked on learning with this easy butterfly sensory bin. It’s a different way to get them curious and interested in learning more. Your sensory bin can be as unique as your child. Get creative, and introduce your child to the wonderful world of butterflies.
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