How to Make a Construction Site Sensory Bin for Fun Learning and Play

Ready to get involved in a construction site and have some fun?

This construction sensory bin is perfect for toddlers and preschoolers who love to get their hands dirty.

It's also great for younger kids who are working on their fine motor skills.

With trucks, shovels, and sand, this bin is sure to keep your little ones entertained for hours.



What is a Sensory Bin?

A sensory bin is a container filled with various materials that can be used for sensory play.

Sensory bins are often used in early childhood classrooms to help kids develop fine motor skills, but they can also be used at home for fun and learning.

Typically, sensory bins are filled with materials like sand, water, rice, beans, or even snow.



All you need to do is pick a theme and fill your bin accordingly.

You can theme a sensory bin around pretty much anything your child loves or is learning about.

We love to team our sensory bins up with unit studies (ocean, animals, seasons), favourite books and pretend play themes (fire station, camping, .

For this construction sensory bin, we've used sand, rocks and construction trucks and toys.



Why Sensory Play is Important

Sensory play is important for young children because it helps them to develop their senses.

When kids touch, smell, see, and hear different materials, they are helping to strengthen the connections in their brains.

Sensory play is also a great way to help kids learn about their environment and the world around them. 

With this construction sensory bin, for example, kids can learn about different textures, weights, and sizes. They can also practice scooping, pouring, and sorting.



Construction Site Sensory Bin

This construction site sensory bin is perfect for your little builder! It is a great way to encourage creative play and exploration.

There are so many ways to play with this bin, from digging and scooping to pouring and sorting.

You can even use it to teach basic math concepts such as counting and measurement.



How to Set Up a Construction Zone Sensory Box

If you're looking for a fun way to keep your kids busy, a construction sensory bin is the perfect activity. It's easy to set up and doesn't require any special materials.

All you need is some sand, a few toys, rocks and a suitable box, tray or other container.

What You'll Need:



Construction Learning

We love to pair a sensory bin with the topic we are learnign about or with a book or two.

For a construction theme, we love the book Construction by Sally Sutton.

This rhythmic read-aloud is full of bustling illustrations and sound words that will have kids begging to join in.

You'll be reading this one again and again!



They'll love getting involved in all the noise and excitement involved in building a library.

You'll definitely need to follow this up with a visit to your local library!

Don't want to buy the book? You can find a read aloud on YouTube.

Why not add in some letter learning with these road theme alphabet mats:


Other construction books we love are:



How to Make a Construction Sensory Bin for Kids Play

Read the book, Construction by Sally Sutton or watch the YouTube read aloud of the book.

Discuss the construction equipment featured in the book and how they are used.

Show your child the sensory tray and all of the materials that will be going inside.



Talk about what they could do with each item, ask them how construction sites work.

For example, they can use the excavator to dig through the sand, or the dump truck to haul rocks from one side of the tray to the other.



Directions

Now it's time to put your construction site sensory bin together:

1. Pour a thin layer of sand into the bottom of the sensory tray and spread the sand out evenly across the bottom of the bin or tray.



2. Add the stones and/or rocks to the bin in opposite corners.



3. Next, add the construction toys and building blocks.



4. Then, place the trees around the bin. 



Your construction bin is ready to go!



Construction Activities for Preschoolers

If you want to extend the activity, you could hide some small objects in the sand for your child to find.

You can also use the bin to practice counting, measuring and sorting.

If you're using this bin with multiple children, you may want to consider assigning each child their own construction toy to avoid arguments and conflict!

You could also make another one and split the toys between the two bins.



This construction sensory bin can get a bit messy, so be sure to have a towel or mat nearby for easy cleanup or, better still, have them play with it outside.

Your child will love exploring this construction sensory bin.

Encourage them to use the toys to build, dig, and move the sand around.



Let them get creative and have fun!


More sensory bin ideas:


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