Are you needing an idea on how to create a back to school themed sensory bin to use in your therapy sessions? As the back to school season approaches, creating a themed sensory bin can be a fun and interactive way to engage your kids in their therapy sessions. I love using sensory bins because they provide hands-on experience that help to stimulate the senses and promote learning through play. Let’s take a look at how we can create a fun filled sensory bin that is back to school themed below!
Step One: Create the Base
When it comes to the base of your back to school themed sensory bin, consider using one of the following options:
- Crinkled Paper or Shredded Paper
- Colored Rice or Dyed Pasta
- Kinetic Sand or Playdough
Step Two: Add the Contents
To enhance the back to school theme, you can include a variety of items in the sensory bin:
- Miniature School Supplies: You can add things like tiny pencils, erasers, rulers, scissors, and glue sticks for imaginative play.
- Alphabet and Number Magnets: These would be great to work on letter and number recognition or spelling activities. You can even work on articulation activities with the different letters.
- Foam Shapes or Felt Shapes: You can work on identifying different shapes or even working on following direction activities.
- Tools: You can use items like tongs, scoops, or tweezers to help with fine motor skill development and to make it even more fun to pick up the different objects.
Step Three: Incorporate in Your Speech Therapy Sessions
Utilize the back to school themed sensory bin to target various speech and language skills:
- Articulation Practice: You can hide different picture cards with target sounds in the bin. Your kids can then use the tongs to find and practice their sounds correctly.
- Vocabulary Building: You can discuss the names and functions of the school supplies the kids find. You can also work on their expressive and receptive language skills.
- Descriptive Language: You can have the kids describe the texture, shape, color, or size of the items they find in the sensory bin.
- Following Directions: You can provide specific instructions for the kids to follow, such as “Find two yellow pencils and one blue eraser.”
A sensory bin can serve as a valuable tool in your speech therapy sessions by promoting engagement, creativity, and language development. So, gather your materials, get creative, and watch your speech therapy sessions come alive with the excitement of a back to school sensory bin!
Enjoy!
