| |

DIY Non-Food Christmas Sensory Bin for Toddlers

Check out how to make your own Christmas sensory bin for toddlers! It was so much fun for my kids, I know your children will love the magic that comes from creating this DIY sensory bin for the holidays.

Creating a fun, festive sensory experience for your toddlers can be easy and budget-friendly with this DIY Christmas Sensory Bin.

Most of the stuff for this bin you can actually get right from the Dollar Tree! It was so easy to set up and my kids loved getting into the holiday spirit with this bin, I just had to share it with you!

Packed with shiny mini bells, colorful mini bows, this sensory play activity will keep your little ones quiet and having fun, all the while building their sensory and motor skills.

Sensory bins are one of the best ways to teach about new seasons and holidays and by doing a Christmas sensory bin, you will help your little ones start to love and feel the magic that comes from this joyful season early!

Plus, my favorite thing about this sensory bin, no food or prep time is involved!

red and white christmas sensory bin with sensory tools to play with

Some of these links are affiliate links meaning if you purchase from these links, I will earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Everything I share is my own opinions and things I personally use and love. You can learn more by reviewing my disclosure. As an Amazon affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases.

What You’ll Need For a Christmas Sensory Bin

  • Mini Bells: Shiny and small, perfect for sensory stimulation and easy for magnetic wands to pick up. Plus, my kids loved shaking them to here the jingle-great for sense of sound!
  • Mini Present Bows: Soft and colorful, adding a festive touch and encouraging fine motor development as kids pick them up and place them.
  • Red and White Paper Shred: Provides a fun, textured base that’s visually stimulating and helps create a festive look. It is so easy to set up and I love non food sensory bins every now and again.
  • Magnetic Wands: Provides a fun, way to learn about the science of magnets!
supplies needed for christmas sensory bin, bells, tinsels

How to Set Up a Christmas Sensory Bin

Because you don’t need any prep time to prepare the food, like dye the rice or pasta as you would other sensory bins, simply dump the filler in first (the paper shred), then add the fun sensory tools and bows and bells and you are all set!

It’s perfect for busy moms who want to bring the Christmas fun into their toddlers lives but don’t have time to prep things.

I loved having it done and ready to go in less than a minute.

Child's hand playing in the Christmas bin grabbing the bows and bells

Benefits of the Christmas Sensory Bin

While it is fun and exciting for little ones, this holiday sensory bin is also beneficial for your toddler’s development! Here are a few benefits:

  • Fine Motor Skill Development: Picking up mini bows and using magnetic wands help strengthen hand muscles and improve dexterity.
  • Creativity and Imaginative Play: Kids can use the sensory bin to create holiday stories and pretend play, boosting their imagination.
  • Sensory Exploration: The combination of shiny, crinkly, and smooth textures provides a stimulating experience for toddlers, enhancing their tactile and visual senses.
  • Calming Activity: The holiday season usually is so busy and full of noise, laughter, bright lights, and usually gets toddlers overstimulated. This sensory bin is perfect for helping them to have calming moments during this hectic time.
close up view of red and white paper with bells and bows in bin

Tips for Playtime

  1. Always Supervise: As with any activity involving small parts, ensure children are supervised during play. This is very important if you have small toddlers who still put things in their mouths!
  2. Add Holiday Variations: You can add extras like small ornaments to keep the activity new and exciting.
  3. Mix Up the Colors: While red and white are perfect for Christmas, feel free to add green or gold paper shred for more color variety.
  4. Encourage Exploration: Let your toddlers experiment and explore which items they can pick up with the wand, don’t show them how to use it at first. See if they can figure it out on their own!
Christmas sensory bin for toddlers pin image

Final Thoughts

I hope you will make this Christmas sensory bin with your kids and watch their eyes sparkle as they enjoy the magic this holiday season brings.

Check out these other Christmas activities for toddlers:

Want to join our FREE community and have more support to help you raise your toddler to be mindful, happy, and kind? Join HERE!

Similar Posts