Exciting Princess Sensory Bin with Dyed Beans 👑🪄

Over the years, as a mom and a teacher, I have come to find that there is just something so magical about sensory bins for children! The beautiful colors, interesting textures, and unique sounds made by the filler are all a part of the whimsical experience. Add in a princess theme and you are left with a sensory bin that will captivate your child for hours of imaginative play! My little princess at home loves playing with this Mini Princess Sensory Bin with Dyed Beans and her knights in shining armor brothers even like to get in on the fun too!

two overhead photos of a princess theme sensory bin made with dyed lima beans and princess accessories.

supplies for making a princess sensory bin.

a measuring cup is inside a glass bowl of llima beans.

four ziploc baggies of lima beans are sitting on a counter.

someone is squirting hot pink paint into a baggie of lima beans.

photo looking down into a baggie of hot pink painted lima beans.

four baggies of painted lima beans on a counter next to bottles of paint.

four baggies of painted lima beans are next to a cookie sheet covered with wax paper.

four colors of painted lima beans are drying on a cookie sheet.

a princess sensory bin made with colorful painted lima beans and princess accessories.

overhead shot of a princess sensory bin made with painted beans.

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool

Kindergarten

Supply List
Coordinating Activities

Sensory Bin Princess Craft Supplies:

2 16oz bags of dried large white lima beans
Acrylic paint: purple, white, light pink, and hot pink
4 sandwich size Ziploc bags
Wax paper
Cooking sheet
Sensory bin
Princess accessories
Scoops
Spoons

Mini Princess Sensory Bin

Princesses, knights, dragons, and preschoolers will all love this Mini Princess Sensory Bin! Lima beans make one of the best sensory bin fillers because they are the perfect size and shape to be scooped and poured. The smooth and bumpy texture of the beans also make a great tactile experience for little hands. And the bright and beautiful colors are sure to quickly catch the attention of little eyes!

Your children will love playing in this sensory bin, and if they are anything like my kids, they will be begging for more fun sensory activities. Don’t worry, we have you covered with all of our sensory bins, bottles, and bags at Life Over Cs!

Materials You Will Need for Princess Sensory Bin:

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2 16oz bags of dried large white lima beans
Acrylic paint: purple, white, light pink, and hot pink
4 sandwich size Ziploc bags
Wax paper
Cooking sheet
Sensory bin
Princess accessories
Scoops
Spoons

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Princess Sensory Bin:

Step One:

Grab your beans and get ready to paint! Cover your cookie sheet with wax paper. (This is going to be where you lay out the painted beans to dry!)

Step Two:

Pour half a bag of lima beans into each zip-lock baggie. Add 1-2 tablespoons of purple acrylic paint to a baggie, 1-2 tablespoons of white paint to a baggie, 1-2 tablespoons of hot pink to a baggie, and 1-2 tablespoons of light pink acrylic paint to the the final baggie.

Teacher Tip: If you only have one color of paint, or want to simplify the process, you can just dye all of the beans the same color. I think the different colors as a base add more depth and texture to your sensory bin, but one color is a good way to simplify or make the process go a little more quickly.

Step Three:

Be sure all of the bags are totally sealed, then carefully roll the beans around between your fingers and hands to cover them with the paint.

Tip: This is a great step to get your little helpers involved in! My kids love helping to shake up the bags and coat the beans in paint. If you are worried about them bursting the bag, you can double bag the beans or add tape to the zip top.

Step Four:

Carefully pour each bag of painted lima beans onto the prepared cooking sheet. Try to put the beans in a single layer on the cookie sheet so they aren’t stacked up. If you need more space to spread the beans out, you can always add another cooking sheet covered in wax paper.

Let them dry for at least 3-4 hours (or overnight if possible!).

Step Five:

In a clean and dry sensory bin, pour in all four colors of lima beans and mix them together. Now it is time to enjoy your sensory bin!

Yay! You dyed beans for the Mini Princess Sensory Bin! What now?

Now that you created your Princess Sensory Bin dyed beans, it is time to add some accessories and get to playing!

Preschool sensory bins are as open-ended as princess fantasies themselves. Make your bin your own with glitter, miniature tiaras, and tiny magic wands. You can even add in some tea cups, plates, and a tea pot for a fun princess tea party.

We have an adorable Princess Themed Printable Pretend Play Set that would go PERFECTLY with this bin. Just print the set on cardstock, cut it out, and it is ready to go in your bin!

This bin is great for independent play, partner play, a small group center in a classroom, or would even be a super cool activity for a princess themed birthday party.

Ways to Differentiate Learning with this Sensory Bin:

Practice sorting colors using the dyed lima beans. This Color Sorting Castle is a fun craft that would go along perfectly with the princess theme.
Work on counting skills by counting out the lima beans and use these fun Finger Counting Posters to help too.
Print these Alphabet Tracing Cards and use the lima beans to create the letters on the cards.
I’ve never met a princess who didn’t love flowers! Add some flowers to your sensory bin, or try this adorable Flower Cutting Sensory Bin!
After you are done playing, students can write their own princess story, and create their own princess character! Check out some of our super fun writing prompts for kids to keep the writing practice going.

Need More Magical Activities? Check Out Our Favorite Princess And Unicorn Activities Here:

Why Should I Encourage Sensory Play Activities?

Sensory play has many incredible benefits for children! Sensory play can be calming for children and provides a safe place for them to begin to explore the world with their senses. Since sensory bins are open ended and there are no instructions for how to play, they are the perfect way to promote creativity and encourage kids to use their imagination. To learn more, check out this article on how kids benefit from sensory play.

As little hands and fingers manipulate the lima beans and use the tools in the bin, they will be exercising their fine motor skills and strengthening their muscles. That reminds me, if you’re looking for more fine motor skill activities, this Bead Color Sorting Fine Motor Skill Activity is another super fun one!

What Can Preschoolers Learn While Playing With This Princess Sensory Bin?

Whenever my three children play in sensory bins it is like they are transported to another world where they dream up all kinds of creative ideas and stories. When your child is dreaming up stories while playing in their sensory bin, you can encourage language development by asking them to share their story with you. If you have an older child, you could even introduce the concepts of setting and characters while story telling.

Playing with a sensory bin with a friend or sibling is a great way to teach communication skills, cooperation, and sharing. This Garden Themed Sensory Bin is another awesome bin to use when playing with a friend!

More Ways to Explore Sensory Play:

Frequently Asked Questions

These are frequently asked questions about Princess Sensory Bins:

What if I don’t have lima beans?

Don’t worry if you do not have lima beans on hand! Great northern beans are another great bean to use for sensory bin filler. You can even use chickpeas, rice, or coconut as the base for your sensory bin (check out how to dye coconut for sensory bins here!).

How do you make a homemade sensory bin?

Making a homemade sensory bin can feel intimidating, but it is really very simple! Choose a filler (try dying rice using this article for help!) and then add some fun toys and accessories you already have lying around at your home.

How do you store dyed beans?

After the beans have completely dried, it is best to store them in an air tight container or zip lock baggie.

What is the best age for this sensory bin?

This sensory bin is best for preschoolers or kindergartners who understand they should not put the beans in their mouth. As always, it is best to provide close supervision for younger children or any child who likes to put toys into their mouth when using a sensory bin.

Enjoy Your Princess Sensory Bin!

I hope your little princesses and knights find this bin as enchanting as we do! Be sure to comment below and let us know how you are using this sensory bin and then check out more of our awesome sensory bins at Life Over Cs!

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