Super Fun Spring Garden Sensory Bin for Kids

Gardening is one of my favorite spring hobbies! When I do find time in my busy mom schedule to get outside and work in my garden, one of my three children is never too far behind. While I do love sharing my passion for gardening with my kids, I do not love when they start digging up my flowers. This Mini Spring Garden Sensory Bin for Kids is the perfect way to get your kids involved in garden themed play without losing all of your flowers to their digging!

two photos of a garden-themed sensory bin made with colored beans.

supplies for making a garden sensory bin with painted beans.

a measuring cup is inside a bowl of dry beans. empty zip top bags are next to the bowl.

dried white beans are divided into four zip top bags.

someone is pouring brown paint into a baggie of dried beans.

looking down into a baggie of beans that have been painted brown.

four baggies of painted beans are sitting in front of the paint colors.

four baggies of painted beans are sitting in front of a cookie sheet covered in wax paper.

four colors of painted beans are drying on a baking sheet.

a finished garden theme sensory bin made with painted beans, tongs, and garden accessories.

Recommended Grade Level:

Preschool

Kindergarten

Supply List
Coordinating Activities

Mini Spring Garden Sensory Bin Supplies:

2 12 oz bags of dried Great Northern beans
Acrylic paint – light green, dark green, brown, and black
4 sandwich size zip lock bags
1 cup measuring cup
Wax paper
Cooking sheet

Spring Garden Sensory Bin

This Spring Garden Sensory Bin is wonderful way to let your child explore a garden without making a huge mess of your own garden. The colorful beans are not only eye catching, but also make fun sounds as they are poured and scooped into containers. They make an awesome filler and amazing sensory experience for this fun garden themed bin! If you need more hands on spring themed activities for your preschoolers and kindergarteners be sure to check out these 75 + Spring Themed Learning Activities!

Sensory bins are great for developing fine motor skills. Using small tools (like gardening tools, scoops, or measuring cups) and manipulating the beans are both wonderful for strengthening hand and finger muscles. Speaking of motor skills- if you are working on fine motor skills, don’t forget to work on gross motor skills too! Check out this Spring Gross Motor Activity that is perfect for strengthening those larger muscle groups!

Materials You Will Need for Creating a Mini Spring Garden Sensory Bin:

2 12 oz bags of dried Great Northern beans
Acrylic paint – light green, dark green, brown, and black
4 sandwich size zip lock bags
1 cup measuring cup
Wax paper
Cooking sheet

Step-by-Step Instructions for the Mini Spring Garden Sensory Bin:

Step One:

Gather all of your materials. Collecting everything in a bin or placing it on a craft tray is a great way to keep it all together until you are ready to start!

Step Two:

Prepare your cooking sheet by placing a sheet of wax paper on it and then set it aside.

Step Three:

Divide the white beans evenly into the four zip lock baggies. Each baggie will get approximately one cup of beans.

Teacher Tip: This is a great time to talk about measurement or estimate the number of beans that are in each baggie!

Step Four:

Add a squirt of paint to each baggie. Use a different color for each bag. Seal the bags shut and shake, roll, and move them all around until all of the beans are coated in paint.

Tip: Get little helpers involved in this step! They love shaking the bags and it may give you a few minutes to clean up and put away the materials you are finished with.

Step Five:

Carefully pour each bag of paint coated beans onto the wax paper covered cooking sheet. Allow the beans to dry about 6-8 hours (or overnight if possible!).

Step Six:

Once your beans are dry, it’s time to enjoy your Garden Sensory Bin!

Yay! You Made Your Sensory Garden! What Now?

Now that you made your dyed garden beans, it is time to add some fun accessories and get to playing! Add in small gardening tools or little sand shovels for scooping and digging. If you have any fake flowers these would be a great addition to this sensory bin. Play kitchen food like corn and other vegetables would also go perfectly in this bin.

Don’t be afraid to ask your child if there are any small toys they have that they would like to play with in their sensory bin. I know my son would be running to find his miniature farm equipment vehicles if I gave him the chance! If you have a bug lover, they might like to add some little pretend critters to their bin. You’ll be so impressed with what your child’s creative mind can come up with!

How Do I Use This Spring Garden Sensory Bin For Kids?

This dyed bean bin can be used so many different ways! It can be an independent activity if you are a parent looking to keep a child entertained. It also works great for a small group activity or set up as a center in a classroom if you are a teacher.

One of the great things about sensory bins is they are easily moved from one location to another and can be used inside (on rainy days) or outside (when the weather is beautiful!)!

Ways to Extend Learning With This Sensory Bin:

Looking for ways to extend learning with this sensory bin? Here are a few!

Sort the beans by color! Great for fine motor skills and color recognition.
Use the beans to trace words or numbers. These CVC mats for building words would be perfect!
Practice counting using the dyed beans and this Spring Counting Book.
Try growing your own beans with this fun seeds in a bag experiment!

Need More Spring Sensory Activities? Check Out These:

What Are The Benefits Of Playing With A Garden Themed Sensory Bin?

Sensory bins are fantastic for brain development, fine motor skills, and language development in kids. A garden theme adds even more benefits for children! Gardening can be a great stress reliever for kids and teaches them the value of caring for other living things. This sensory bin is a great way to start conversations about how we care for the earth and why plants are important for us to survive. For more information on why gardening is beneficial for kids, check out this article from PBS!

More Ways to Explore A Garden Theme:

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some frequently asked questions about this garden themed sensory bin:

Why are sensory bins helpful?

Sensory bins promote creativity and encourage children to use their imagination! They are also great for brain development and strengthening fine motor skills.

What other filler can I use besides great northern beans for my sensory bin?

You can use other beans like lima beans or garbanzo beans for your filler. Rice, small pasta, and spaghetti (try out our recipe!) also work great!

Will dyed beans stain my child’s hands?

The beans you dye for this sensory bin will not stain your child’s hands. You will want to make sure though that the beans dry completely before you use them.

How do I store the beans for my sensory bin?

It is best to store the beans in an air tight container. A clear storage container with a lid works great, but if you don’t have one, a zip lock baggie will also work just fine!

Enjoy Your Spring Sensory Bin!

We hope you love this garden sensory bin as much as we do! Be sure to check out all of our other awesome spring themed activities at Life Over Cs!