Rice Sensory Bin

admin September 18, 2021 2 min read

Have you ever set up a Rice Sensory Bin for your child?

Rice is one of our favorite sensory materials. It has an incredibly soothing texture, making it perfect for unwinding play before bedtime.

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Rice Sensory Bin

One of the best things about using rice as sensory bin material, is that it’s incredibly frugal!

Simply pick up a bag of rice at your local wholesale club or grocery store, then dump it into a large plastic bin (approximately 2 feet long, 16 inches wide, and 1 foot deep).

Kids love to search for small toys hidden in the rice!

Scoops, empty bottles, trucks, toy animals the options are endless! Filling a rice sensory bin with items for play doesn’t need to be expensive. Items from the kitchen like funnels, pots, and wooden spoons are also good for entertaining for children!

The rice in the bin pictured above was probably 3 “4 inches deep. I thought it was fun to stick some items deep towards the bottom as a surprise.

If you want to use colored rice in the sensory bin, check out this easy tutorial for making neon rice or harvest colored rice. Those dying techniques could be used to make any colored rice you wish!

Thankfully, my kids kept most of the rice in the bin! Any rice spills were easily cleaned up with a vacuum, but you could also put a sheet under the rice bin to collect spills. When play is over, simply pick up the sheet and pour the excess rice back into the bin.

RELATED: Calming Epsom Salt Sensory Play

This project is fun for older toddlers, preschoolers, and school-age kids, but is probably not ideal for babies who still put objects in their mouths.