Nature Sensory Bin

This nature sensory bin was certainly fun to put together. Papa, my son and I went out into Papa’s great big backyard and found moss, birch tree logs, bark, ferns and twigs to build our nature bin. Great for learning about bugs and exploring nature close up at home. We love simple sensory play and spring science!

Easy to Assemble Nature Sensory Bin

Sensory Bin Ideas For Spring

We have made nature sensory bottles, now head out into the woods or your backyard for this easy nature activity! Gather supplies like branches, moss, leaves, flowers, and whatever else your area has available. We did talk about not pulling branches and leaves off trees!

I love that we collected our materials for our nature sensory bin together from papa’s house when we went to visit my in-laws. They have wonderful woods that we miss from living in the city!

This nature sensory bin is also a great example of small world play! There are so many neat textures to take in with a sensory bin. Explore and discover with a sensory bin. It opens up so many possibilities for language development too! Ask your child all about what they see and feel. Play together!

Click here to learn more about sensory bins

Check out these other fun sensory bin ideas…

Have a wonderful time exploring nature indoors while welcoming Spring outdoors!

What should a nature sensory bin contain?

I made a special dirt out of dried coffee grounds that I collected throughout the week. I simply spread them out on a cookie sheet lined with a paper towel. Makes a lovely fragrant but clean dirt!

Make sure to grab a few plastic bugs for your nature sensory bin! You could even use them for our bug slime recipe.

Look out as you might very well have a few real ones too like we did. Some of our bark pieces had a surprise or two waiting for us.

Make sure to add a magnifying glass and a fun book about bugs too!

Click here to get your free nature STEM activities pack!

He enjoyed looking at each plastic bug and placing it carefully in his nature sensory bin. He noticed that they each had a pair and sometimes one was a mommy and a little kid or baby. He thought the centipede looked like train tracks and he made the grasshopper hop out of the bin.

I put a small bowl of water in the nature sensory bin because nature needs water. I asked him not to dump it and he did a good job listening and instead used it to give each bug a bath. Then he placed each one to dry on the moss.

Learning with Nature Sensory Bin

I put together some early learning trays from supplies that had just come in the mail. I also had some cute trays I had stored away. Sorting bugs and butterflies are my own. so cute! Foam bug stickers and leaf printout from The Measured Mom.

We put our own spin on it to suit my son’s needs. Clothes pins and counting cards. Favorites! Bug printables from 3 Dinosaurs. These were all easy to manage activities for him, and he had success with each.

I usually need to start the sorting with him so he gets one for each bowl and then he is good to go! About 10 of each insect was perfect for this activity. Fine motor practice using the tweezers.