The Ultimate List of Sensory Bins For 1 Year Olds (Taste Safe & Choking Hazard Free!)
There are so many benefits of Sensory Bins For 1 Year Olds.
Firstly, they get exposed to new textures and sights. You can expose them to liquids, solids, soft items, hard items which will also expose them to new vocabulary as well.
Adding scoops and spoons helps with gross motor skills.
Plus it’s fun! Learning through play is the best at 12 months.
Related:
Places to go with a 1 Year Old – Indoor & Outdoor Activities
15 Fun Places To Take Toddlers – That Will Blow Their Minds!
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Sensory Bins For 1 Year Old
Training for Sensory Bin Play
1 year olds LOVE to put things in their mouth, so when starting sensory bin play it’s important to make sure you don’t have anything too small (choking hazard) or not taste safe (example water beads – save these for later!).Â
A nice way to start sensory bins is to start with water and add scoops and cups. Super simple and you have everything already. You can also put little rubber duckies or other water toys. This gets them used to the sensory bin idea.
Move on to other items like large blocks or pom poms.
At 12 months, baby’s attention span won’t be long so don’t be surprised if they only last a few minutes to start. It’s totally normal, and a good reason not to worry too much about elaborate set ups at this age.
Sensory Bin Tools for 1 Year Olds
We have a Flisat table from Ikea which we love for our sensory bins. You can also just use containers from the dollar store or Amazon.
As mentioned above you can start with things you already own, but as time goes on you can add tools just for your bins. These are our favorites for 1 year olds:
Learning Resources Sand & Water Fine Motor Set
Four tools for sand and water play will help kids build fine motor skills while having fun
Includes a squeezy bottle, spinner, wavy dropper, and scooper sized just right for toddlers’ hands
Montessori Toys for Toddlers
Scoops, tongs and cups and pots made of wood. If you are avoiding plastic these are a great alternative.
Play Dough Tools for Kids
45 pieces of various shapes of dough tools: rolling pins, pattern moulds, cutters, stamps, etc.
This large collection can be used for so many different bins and your 1 year old can grow into them.
Sensory Bin Fillers for 1 Year Olds
Blocks and a Muffin Tin
If your little one is in a “putting things into things” stage then this is a great setup for them to practice their transferring skills with their hands. You can add small tongs to see if they can try to master them.
Snow/Ice
A great winter bin idea is to bring snow inside. It lasts surprisingly long in plastic. Add some little people, construction toys or just scoops and bowls.
If it’s not winter/you don’t get snow (lucky!) then add ice cubes to the bin or if you have a powerful blender you can blend ice cubes to make a “snow”.
Cheerios or Rice Krispies
Sometimes it’s ok to play with your food. If your little one does put everything in then mouth then adding a base of Rice Krispies or Cheerios can be a great way to fill a bin.
Water – Lemon Slices and/or Fruit
Make some “soup” with lemons and berries. Your one year old may eat some of the berries but that is ok of course. After you’re done with them you can scoop them out and put them into a smoothie for a snack.
Oats
Oats are small and taste safe, but don’t let them eat too many. They can be scooped and poured. You can also hide “treasures” underneath and let them dig and find them.
Cooked Pasta
Long spaghetti noodles, with a little bit of oil to prevent sticking, is a really fun (and messy!) way to play. You can dye them to be colorful, but the effort for the reward at this age isn’t worth it. Just keep them plain and your toddler will love pulling and squeezing the slippery noodles.
Large Pom Poms
Large pom poms (ones that are too big to be swallowed) are a nice soft addition to your play. They can also be added to water as another sensory experience. Give them a squeeze and lay them out on a towel and they can be reused.
Oobleck (Cornstarch & Water)
Oobleck is a super fun science experiment. Its a blend of cornstarch (start with 2 cups) and water ( 1 cup) and you can add some natural food dye. Its in between a liquid and a solid and oh so gooey. It cleans up surprisingly easy too!
Baby ‘Sand’
Crush up/blend graham crackers for a really cool sand-like bin. You can add sand toys and even a little water towards the end for a different texture.
Cloud Dough/Moon Sand
Another “sand” option is to add 4 cups of flour and 1 cup of oil to make really soft sand. It can be used over and over if kept in a well sealed container. Just make sure to bake your flour first (bacteria can live in raw floor). Spread out on a baking sheet, bake for 5 minutes at 350 ° F then let it cool.
Kinetic Sand (not taste safe)
As your baby moves away from eating everything, kinetic sand can be really fun indoors. Its moldable sand with a great texture for building things. You can add playdoh toys or cookie cutters.
Conclusion: Sensory Bins for 1 Year Olds
12 months is a great time to start sensory bin play because 1 year olds are curious and love trying new things. There are so many benefits for their development and its amazing to see them concentrate and learn new skills.
Related:
Places to go with a 1 Year Old – Indoor & Outdoor Activities
15 Fun Places To Take Toddlers That Will Blow Their Minds!
