Winter Sensory Bin

I’ve mentioned before that I sometimes set up a sensory bin for the kindergartner and preschooler to enjoy together after school.  It really helps with the transition period, giving the kindergartner the down time she needs and still allowing them to interact together.

This week I pulled out the bag of artificial snow I picked up on clearance for super cheap, and I set up a special bin just with her in mind.

Anna and Elsa from the Disney Frozen movie just fit perfectly with the artificial snow, and I knew she would love seeing them there.  I also added our polar bears because, honestly, they’re my favorite Arctic animals!

Peanut had a blast lifting up handfuls and making it snow, and it wasn’t long before the preschooler came over to see what all the fuss was about.

Pretty soon the super villain Mr. Freeze joined the winter wonderland, and he brought his penguin friends with him!

They played with the winter sensory bin for almost an hour.  When they were finished I used my hand to scoop the snow into a zip lock bag and a damp paper towel to get the stray flakes off the kitchen floor.  (It’s a bit like styrofoam in the fact that it likes to cling to things, so a damp cloth keeps it from flying around and finding new places to stick.)

I’m already thinking of a few other fun uses for our artificial snow, and I know Anna and Elsa will find their way back into the sparkling flakes soon if my daughter has her way.

(Please keep in mind that artificial snow is made up of little plastic pieces.  Children who put items in their mouths should not play with artificial snow.)