Sharing books with toddlers, preschoolers, and young learners is one of the most important things you can do. Pair that with a sensory activity for preschoolers and that is a double win! This sensory spring activity is designed to use with the book, “Little Blue Truck’s Springtime,” by Alice Schertle and illustrated by Jill Mcelmurry. Kids will love the rhyming prose of the book along with all the farm animals featured in the “Little Blue Truck” books. Exploration follows with this awesome spring sensory bin for preschool. Check out this fun spring theme sensory activity for kids.
Recommended Grade Level:
Little Blue Truck Sensory Bin Supplies:
- “The Little Blue Truck’s Springtime,” by Alice Schertle
- Sensory bin
- Blue truck toy
- Pebbles/small rocks
- Faux trees/grass/flowers/stones
- Toy farm animals
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Benefits of Sensory Play in Early Childhood
PRESCHOOL SENSORY ACTIVITIES
PRETEND PLAY OPPORTUNITIES ARE GREAT FOR DEVELOPING LANGUAGE, CREATIVITY, AND PROBLEM-SOLVING IN CHILDREN.
I love activities that start with an engaging book! From there, you can extend and extend to any lengths you like! Play activities at the sensory table are a wonderful way to allow kids freedom to explore, talk, re-tell, and engage multiple senses.
This “Little Blue Truck” springtime activity is a fun sensory activity because it really brings the book to life! Children will love to dive into the sensory bin filler to cruise down the road, greet animals, and beep beep their way through an interactive learning experience.
Spring sensory activities for preschool are a great way to calm children when they get a little antsy while giving them time to really explore through sensory play.
In addition to retelling the story or talking about the animals involved, you can guide kids to think about other things too:
- Did you hear rhyming words in the story? Which words rhyme?
- What other animals might be on the farm that we didn’t see in the story?
- How many ducks are in a line?
- What are baby goats/ducks/sheep called?
What Can Preschoolers Learn By Pairing a Book With a Sensory Box?
LITTLE BLUE TRUCK TOYS AND BOOKS
INCORPORATING HANDS-ON PLAY WITH GREAT LITERATURE PROVIDES A LOT OF OPPORTUNITY FOR CHILDREN TO BE ENGAGED, TALK, PLAY, AND COMPREHEND THE STORY.
Placing story-related items into a sensory bottle or bin allows kids to practice vocabulary, re-telling, setting, characters, and more.
- Rhyming
- Re-telling
- Comprehension
- Vocabulary
- Sequence
- Themes
Why Is It Important For Kids To Play In The Sensory Bin?
Children are naturally curious about everything around them. Sensory play helps them understand the world a little bit better.
Background Knowledge
Sensory play with different themes and topics allows kids ample opportunities to develop background knowledge, vocabulary, and other content-specific skills.
Brain Connections
When children interact with sensory material, their brains become active. With each sensory experience, neural connections begin to form that become important for later learning.
Fine Motor Skills
As children zoom vehicles, pinch pom poms, or sift through water beads, they use important hand and finger muscles. The more these muscles develop, the easier it will be to color, draw and write.
Creativity
Sometimes a story-themed sensory bin is just a jumping-off point for a whole other world of storytelling. It’s a wonderful way to allow kids to be creative, so don’t worry if the little blue truck becomes a giant rocket ship!
Tools you’ll need
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Don’t worry about making a special trip to the store. You can get all the supplies for this activity right here. Click the pictures above to get what you need.
How To Use Make the Little Blue Truck Sensory Bin
How to Make This Sensory Bin
Step One:
Read the book and discuss, or place this book near the sensory bin for the child to use as he or she explores the bin.
Step Two:
Add the grass to the sensory bin. Make a road using the pebbles and place the blue truck on top.
Step Three:
Add the flowers and trees.
Step Four:
Then, add the farm animals around the bin.
Step Five:
Invite the child to explore the contents of the sensory bin and observe what he or she does with the materials.
Step Six:
If desired, discuss the order of the animals the toad and the Little Blue Truck see along the way and have the child place them in order.
Our Favorite Springtime Books:
We can’t live without these!
Once your child’s creativity is sparked with this fun activity, take it a step further with these engaging resources:
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Truck Craft
Use a small box/shoe box to create your own little blue truck. Fill it with plastic toy animals for more role-playing, re-telling fun.
Act it Out
Acting out a book like “The Little Blue Truck,” is a great way to use language and sequencing skills. Review the order of the animals, then have fun acting out each animal as you see it.
Animal Babies
Use the book as a springboard for a discussion about animal babies. Children can match adult animals with babies to learn important vocabulary.
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