Fun and Easy Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin for Toddlers Play

Looking for an easy, colorful, and educational activity for toddlers? A Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is one of the best sensory play options you can make at home! This colorful sensory activity not only introduces your child to different textures and colors but also boosts fine motor skills, creativity, and concentration.

Creating a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is simple, mess-free, and budget-friendly. With just a few basic materials, you can create a captivating sensory experience that toddlers will return to again and again.

Whether you’re exploring a rainbow theme sensory bin, designing back-to-school sensory table activities, or setting up fall-themed sensory play, dyed chickpeas are perfect sensory table fillers that offer endless possibilities.

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Toddler playing with a dyed chickpea sensory bin filled with calming, colorful materials to promote mindfulness, emotional regulation, and fine motor skill development. Great for spring and summer sensory play activities or quiet, calming moments at home or school.

Why Use a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin?

A Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is a sensory-rich activity that supports developmental milestones in toddlers and preschoolers. Sensory play encourages children to use multiple senses—sight, touch, and even sound (when chickpeas pour or scoop)—to engage with materials in new ways.

1. Texture Exploration

The round, smooth texture of dyed chickpeas is soothing for little hands. Unlike sticky materials, chickpeas don’t leave residue, making them ideal for toddlers who enjoy DIY sensory play without the mess.

2. Color Recognition

Using multiple bright colors, you can introduce colourful sensory play that teaches toddlers to identify and sort colors. From rainbow color sorting sensory bin activities to matching games, dyed chickpeas make color learning engaging.

3. Fine Motor Development

Scooping, pouring, and picking up individual chickpeas strengthens fine motor control and hand-eye coordination. This supports skills needed for writing, buttoning, and using utensils.

4. Open-Ended Play

A dyed chickpea sensory bin encourages creativity. Children can imagine, build, and explore freely. Whether you’re hosting a spy games for kids afternoon or setting up preschool fall provocations, dyed chickpeas are versatile.

5. Reusability

Once dyed and dried, these chickpeas can be stored in a container for months. This makes them a staple in reusable sensory bins.

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Supplies You’ll Need for The Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin

To make your own Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin, here’s what you need:

2 16 oz dried chickpea beans
4 Acrylic paint colors (pink, green, yellow, and teal)
4 sandwich Ziplock baggies
Baking tray or parchment paper for drying

Flat lay of supplies for making a dyed chickpea sensory bin for toddlers, including two bags of dried chickpeas, four bottles of acrylic paint in pink, green, yellow, and teal, and ziplock sandwich bags. Perfect for DIY sensory activities, rainbow beans sensory play, and colorful sensory bin setups.

How to Dye Chickpeas (Step-by-Step Guide)

If you’re wondering how to dye chickpeas, this process is quick, fun, and kid-friendly:

Gather all your supplies and place your ziplock bags open and ready.

Divide the chickpeas evenly among the bags—approximately 1 1/4 cups per bag.
Add a squirt of acrylic paint into each bag—one color per bag.

Step 1 of making a dyed chickpea sensory bin for toddlers, showing dried chickpeas, four acrylic paint colors, and sandwich ziplock bags arranged on a table. Perfect for DIY sensory play, rainbow theme sensory bins, and colorful tactile learning.

Seal and shake! Let your child help you shake and massage the paint around the chickpeas until fully coated.

Four sandwich bags filled with dyed chickpeas in vibrant pink, green, yellow, and teal, used for creating a dyed chickpea sensory bin for toddlers. Perfect for rainbow sensory play, fine motor development, and preschool color sorting sensory activities.

Pour the dyed chickpeas onto a tray lined with parchment paper and let them dry completely, about 4-6 hours or overnight.

Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin for toddlers featuring pink, green, yellow, and teal chickpeas poured into a baking tray to dry. This colorful sensory play setup encourages fine motor skills, color recognition, and is perfect for DIY sensory bin activities.

Once dry, you’re ready to build your dyed chickpea sensory bin!

Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin for toddlers ready to use with rainbow-colored chickpeas in pink, green, yellow, and teal. Ideal for fine motor skills, color sorting, and preschool sensory play. A perfect reusable sensory bin activity for home or classroom.

Now you have vibrant rainbow beans ready to spark colourful sensory play in your home or classroom.

Fun Ideas for Using Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bins

1. Color Sorting Games

Create a rainbow color sorting sensory bin by mixing the dyed chickpeas together and encouraging children to separate them into bowls or cups by color. This promotes logical thinking and pattern recognition.

2. Alphabet Sensory Bin Preschool Activity

Hide plastic letters in the chickpeas for children to find, name, and match. This activity combines tactile fun with early literacy skills—great for preschool apple theme activities or alphabet learning.

3. Math Games with Dyed Chickpeas

Practice counting, making patterns, or simple addition using the chickpeas. Turn them into math manipulatives for hands-on learning.

4. Rainbow Sensory Table Set-Up

Layer your dyed chickpeas like a rainbow and create themed small world play with animals, scoops, and mini toys. Perfect for summer sensory activities or birthday parties.

5. Fall Themed Sensory Play

Combine dyed chickpeas with faux leaves, mini apples, or small pumpkins for a cozy, seasonal sensory bin. Great for fall science activities, preschool sensory play, or apple theme sensory units.

6. Sensory Tubs for Spy Games

Bury small spy tools (magnifying glasses, keys, plastic bugs) in the bin and let kids dig and discover. Excellent for creative spy games for kids.

Thematic Inspiration: Using Dyed Chickpea Across Seasons

Spring Sensory Activities

Pair pastel-colored chickpeas with toy flowers or bugs.
Create garden-themed bins using chicks, fake grass, and pink/yellow chickpeas.

Summer Sensory Activities

Use ocean-themed toys with teal and blue chickpeas.
Make an ice cream sensory bin using brown, pink, and white chickpeas.

Apple Theme Sensory

Mix red and green chickpeas to simulate apples.
Use with preschool apple theme activities or apple lesson plans.

Fall Themed Sensory Play

Pair orange, red, and yellow chickpeas with leaves and mini pumpkins.
Include pinecones, acorns, and fabric leaves for extra texture.

Storage & Reuse Tips for Dyed Chickpeas Sensory Bin

Store dyed chickpeas in a dry, sealed container.
Keep away from moisture to avoid mould.
Reuse as base materials in different bins all year round.
Combine with rainbow rice sensory bin activities, rainbow oats sensory play, or other sensory play recipes.

Final Thoughts

Creating a Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin is more than just a fun craft—it’s a powerful tool to support your toddler’s development. From fine motor skill growth to color recognition and open-ended play, dyed chickpeas offer an enriching experience that is easy to set up and endlessly adaptable.

Whether you’re preparing preschool fall provocations, setting up a rainbow sensory table, or exploring diy sensory play, this simple activity encourages learning and imagination. Plus, it’s a wonderful bonding opportunity to play alongside your child.

Start today, and let your little one scoop, sort, and explore the world through a beautifully crafted Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin. With just a few supplies and a splash of creativity, you’ll be amazed at the hours of joy and learning this colorful bin can provide.

Happy sensory playing!

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Easy Dyed Chickpea Sensory Bin for Toddlers: Fun Sensory Play

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