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Peppermint-Scented Christmas Sensory Bin

December 6, 2013 by OneMommy

Each year millions of homes have red and white candy canes hanging from the limbs of green Christmas trees.  The taste and smell of those candy treats reminds me of childhood.  I guess that’s why I love sharing different candy cane activities with my own kids.

We had fun bringing a bit of that Christmas classic into this fun peppermint-scented Christmas sensory bin.

peppermint-scented Christmas sensory bin -- scented rainbow rice for sensory play

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Cold winter days are perfect for indoor sensory play like this candy cane sensory bin.

Looking for more holiday ideas to try indoors?  Host your own candy cane hunt!

Christmas Sensory Play

To make our peppermint scented rainbow rice, I added a teaspoon or so of peppermint extract to the plastic sandwich bag of rice, along with a bunch of red food coloring.

Then I just zipped up the bag and had the kids shake, shake, shake!  (You can also use peppermint essential oil if you have it on hand.)   The smell was intoxicating, even through the bag.

We spread the rice out on some paper towels and gave it a couple hours to dry.  Once it was dry, I made candy cane stripes in our sensory bin with the red, peppermint-smelling rice and some plain white rice.

Then I gathered up the dollar store craft items I had bought on our last shopping trip.

Christmas sensory bin

There were white foam “snow” balls, blue foam snowflakes and little candy cane and gingerbread men.  I decided to cut a few  red and white pipe cleaners in half and bent them to become candy canes.  (I love getting to use the craft items for multiple uses – sensory play now, craft time later!)

I finished the Christmas sensory bin by adding a few small ornaments to the mix.   You can add any variety of Christmas-themed craft items to your bin.

By then the kids were itching to play — the smell of peppermint was just calling to them!

peppermint sensory

 

They had fun dancing the little gingerbread men and candy canes around the scented rice.

And then they got out some of the little cups with lids and made shakers with the rice.  Finally, they crafted some fun little “drinks.”

Christmas sensory play

 

They played for almost an hour with the sensory bin.   And I enjoyed the delightful smell of peppermint that it brought to the kitchen.

I’m looking forward to hours of fun with our peppermint-scented Christmas sensory play.

 

You will also like:

  • Jingle Bell Bracelets  —  Preschoolers will love making this fun bracelets that are perfect for Christmas.
  • Water Beads in the Snow   —  Simple sensory play that is perfect when you’re stuck indoors on a snowy day.
  • Match the Hearts Sensory Bin   —  A Valentine’s Day themed sensory bin your child will love.

Get more fun ideas like this & our printable Christmas Scavenger Hunt delivered to your email by subscribing to our newsletter. 


 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Sensory Play Tagged With: candy cane activity, Christmas, holiday, preschooler sensory play

Comments

  1. Eva @ The Multitasking Mummy says

    December 11, 2013 at 6:21 am

    Oh wish there was snow blowing outside my house instead of heat and humidity here in Australia….love thissensory bin idea!

    • OneMommy says

      December 11, 2013 at 6:45 pm

      Heat and humidity is never my favorite mix. Maybe some ice sensory play indoors… 🙂

  2. Angela says

    December 11, 2013 at 9:49 am

    I have been wanting to try a scented sensory bin with my daughter, looks like so much fun! Thanks for sharing this at Anything Goes. 🙂

    • OneMommy says

      December 12, 2013 at 4:34 pm

      Love the scent of peppermint — perfect for this time of year!

  3. Bonnie a.k.a. LadyBlogger says

    December 11, 2013 at 3:30 pm

    I really enjoyed this post and pinned it to my “parenting” board on Pinterest for other parents to read! I had an “indoor sandbox” for my little one (who is now 6’4″) with oatmeal, dumptrucks and spoons and things in it. I kept it in a big plastic bin on top of the fridge and would bring it down on snowy days.

    • OneMommy says

      December 12, 2013 at 4:35 pm

      Sensory bins are great when you are stuck indoors! I bet your son still remembers that!

  4. Ashley says

    December 18, 2013 at 8:25 am

    I bet this smells delicious! Featured you on Mom’s Library this week!

    • OneMommy says

      December 18, 2013 at 11:49 am

      I love the smell of peppermint! 🙂

      Thank you for featuring it!

Trackbacks

  1. Sand Ornament Christmas Sensory Bin & 6 More Sensory Bin Ideas | Little Bins for Little Hands says:
    December 11, 2013 at 7:49 am

    […] Christmas Sensory Bin by There's Just One Mommy […]

  2. Candy Cane Sensory Play Rice Sensory Bin says:
    November 25, 2014 at 2:57 am

    […] Christmas Sensory Bin by There's Just One Mommy […]

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