Looking for a fun, hands-on sensory bin activity? It doesn’t get much better than Water Beads! They’re squishy and colorful, and great for sensory play. Let the kids hold them, squish them, or plunge their hands into a bowl full of them. Find out how to create a hands-on sensory experience with your very own water beads sensory bin.
As part of my ongoing series, ABC Sensory, we’ve been exploring a different sensory activity for each letter of the alphabet. And with Easter just around the corner, we decided that for today’s letter E sensory bin, we’d make it Egg-themed by using Water Beads and Easter eggs! And I’ll show you just how easy it was to make. Plus, I created a FREE checklist to help you along the way. Click the link to get access before getting started: FREE Idea Checklist: How To Create ABC Sensory Bins.
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Supplies
Letter E Shapes (upper case and lower case)
Directions
Water beads can be used for many different things. Like with plants, for example, to reduce the amount of watering needed. Or you can use them for decorating, in vases, or bowls. But the best way to use them is for sensory play!
There are also two different ways water beads are sold. The ones we used were already hydrated (which means they are already full-sized and soaked in water). But if you purchase water beads that are not fully hydrated, they’ll come as small, hard beads. You’ll first need to place them in water and allow them to fully expand before playing with them.
Once your water beads are fully hydrated, pour them into your sensory bin. Then add in your Easter eggs and letter E shapes. And you’re all set. How easy is that?
Learning note: When doing this with my kids, I like to include letter E shapes to help reinforce the letter we’re learning about. The more your child sees a letter, the more they will come to recognize it.
Make It A Game
See how many water beads you can fit into one Easter egg. Or try pushing all the letter E shapes under the water beads so they’re “hiding.” Then let your kids dig through the water beads to try and find them all!
Sneak In Some Learning
As your child is playing, try asking questions like:
“What letter are we learning about today?”
“What sound does the letter E make?”
“E is for what?… Eggs!”
When I did this with my daughter, she liked packing the Easter eggs as full as she could with water beads. But her favorite part was squishing the water beads between her fingers. The cool, squishy feel of them makes for a strangely satisfying experience!
Make your own Water Beads Sensory Bin
A truly unique sensory experience, water beads make one of the best sensory bin fillers! There’s no doubt your kids will have fun with this activity. And by adding in some letter E objects, you can easily mix in some learning too!
Be sure to check out the rest of my alphabet sensory bins. And show me what you’ve made! Join me on Instagram or Facebook and share your sensory bins with me! Or leave me a message in the comments below. I love hearing from you!
