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Looking for easy rice sensory bin ideas that kids love? Look no further! Head down below and discover some of our favorite rice sensory bins for kids. Sensory bins don’t have to be expensive. And rice is a simple and cheap sensory bin filler that you probably already have on hand. Scroll down to discover how we use rice to create sensory bins kids will play with for hours (seriously, my preschoolers have had to be ~~bribed~~ guided away from sensory bins…). Plus, discover the best toys and accessories to add to the sensory bins, and how to store your sensory bins after playing with them.

collage of rice sensory bins arranged in rainbow order vertically. text says [15+ rice sensory bins]

There truly are few activities that my preschoolers have loved more than sensory bins. The themes, the sensory engaging textures and smells, the highly inspired hours of pretend play…. and what makes sensory bins even better is when they are super easy to put create. That’s why I love rice sensory bins so much!

One of our very first ever sensory bins was plain rice and some random toys from around the house. My preschooler was in LOVE!! And that has inspired years of sensory exploration with rice.

Why Should I Use Sensory Bins?

Beyond the fun of sensory bins, the benefits of sensory play are many. Yes, your kids will love creating a rainbow world or jungle adventure, but they will also benefit from exploring the sensory bins with their five senses.

Important Note: Even when using food items as a sensory bin filler, not all are taste safe. Make sure to supervise children while they are engaging in sensory play and teach them when it is okay to taste and when it is not safe.

While part of sensory play involves exploring the environment with their eyes, don’t worry about making a sensory bin that is Insta-perfect. The pictures we share of our sensory bins are for inspiration only. Kids need to be allowed to use their own imagination to create a sensory play experience that is most beneficial to them.

Reasons to Use Rice Sensory Bins:

Life Skills: Combining a rice sensory bin with simple tools like a funnel and spoon teach kids the important skills of scooping and pouring. A sensory bin is a safe place to practice pouring into cups, bowls, or cardboard tubes without spilling milk all over the kitchen counter. Providing scooping and pouring activities is part of the ECERS-R guidelines for water play and sand play.

Engaging the Five Senses: The more kids use their five senses the more they are able to adapt to the ever-changing world around them. While most of our sensory bins do not involve the sense of taste (our popcorn sensory bin is an example of a taste-safe sensory bin when used with one child), most of them do involve the rest of the five senses: smell, hear, feel, and see. Grab our five senses scavenger hunt to add to any sensory bin for a fun way to record the senses around them.

Pretend Play: I’ll say it a million times if I need to, the only job of a child is to play. It is how they receive information and express to others the information they have learned. Want to know if your child understands the job of a firefighter? Add our firefighter pretend play set to a simple rice sensory bin and let them play. They will show you exactly what they know.

And those are just a few of the many benefits of playing with a simple rice sensory bin!

See our idea list below for easy ways to implement rice sensory bins with your kids.

How to Create a Rice Sensory Bin for Kids

While colors, scents, and toys might be different for each sensory bin theme, in general sensory bins are very simple to set up.

What You Need for a Rice Sensory Bin

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Tray: The first thing you need for your sensory bin is a tray. We, personally, love sensory bins of all sizes and share them here on Life Over C’s. But each size of a sensory bin is best for different uses.

Deep Tray: Ideally, your sensory bin will be a minimum of 4 inches deep to help keep the sensory materials contained inside. We love using large plastic storage bins when a couple kids are playing together (or an older child) and we often use paper trays for individual-use. But my absolute favorite for individual use is these stackable storage bins. They are so easy to put a lid on and save the sensory bin for later. Which saves you valuable time when you need a quick activity to keep the kids busy. We have also used mini sensory bins on a small tray, but it is best to keep them inside a larger container to minimize the mess.
Full-Size Sensory Table: When you are in a classroom and want to have multiple kids playing with the same sensory bin, a full-size sensory table is just what you need. In our preschool classrooms, we have used this sensory table. It is great for dry and wet sensory exploration.

Filler: For our rice sensory bins, our filler is usually just dyed rice. You can get our easy instructions for how to dye rice for sensory play here.

How to Dye Rice for Sensory Bins

Dyeing rice for sensory bins is super easy and only takes a few minutes of hands-on preparation. Simply combine rice with vinegar and food coloring (Ninja tip: You can substitute hand sanitizer for vinegar if you happen to have a stash of extra sanitizer around.) You can get the step by step instructions on how to dye rice with this simple tutorial.

You can read more about how to dye other sensory bin fillers here:

Easy Rice Sensory Bins You Can Create

Now that you have a tray or sensory table and you have learned how to dye the rice to fit a variety of themes, learn more about setting up a rice sensory bin for your kiddos below.

Your sensory bin doesn’t need to be fancy. Kids will love to combine rice with a set of measuring cups and spoons. Or a small bowl and some toy figurines. Those make the perfect setting for dreaming up a restaurant, a waterfall or giving their favorite toys a ‘bath’.

Combine Rice Sensory Bins with a Pretend Play Set

We love using pretend play printables with our sensory bins and also with play dough. Both provide an excellent opportunity for pretend play.

Pretend play sets open up a whole new way to explore in a sensory bin. They can also be a great way to introduce kids who don’t have a lot of experience with expressing their imaginations or utilizing their language skills in a group setting. Kids who have experienced trauma can use our friend pretend play set to break down barriers in communication.

Free Printable Pretend Play Sets for Sensory Play

This Friend Pretend Play Set goes perfectly with plain rice or just use your child’s favorite color.

Use our Outer Space Pretend Play Set with black rice to create deep space.

Combine red dyed rice with our Firefighters Pretend Play Set.

Create a park theme with green dyed rice and this Picnic Pretend Play Set.

Get even more Pretend Play Printables here.

Easy Set Up Themed Rice Sensory Bins

Don’t have a printer? Or maybe you a looking for a quick non-printable activity? Our themed rice sensory bins will definitely do the trick. After your rice is dyed, setting up these easy sensory bin ideas will only take a few minutes of your time.

1. Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin

Some sensory bins are just naturally beautiful like this color filled rainbow rice sensory bin. We initially used the colors in stripes in a bin, but, as kids do, the colors quickly mixed together to create this bright dyed rice rainbow sensory bin. Adding a few rainbow themed toys created a fun-filled STEM experience.

close up image of a rainbow sensory bin made with pom poms, rice, and wooden puzzles.

2. Pink Lemonade Rice Sensory Bin

Perfect for summer… or when you are dreaming of summer. This lemonade themed sensory bin definitely engages the senses with its lemony smell, bright colors and varied textures. Combine some fake ice cubes and cups for a great way to practice having a lemonade stand (without all the hassle of dragging everything to the curb and sitting outside on a hot day.)