If you’re reading the book or watching the movies about how the Grinch stole Christmas this holiday season, this activity is going to be so much fun for your young children! This Grinch themed sensory bin is a great activity for children of all ages. Little hands get to explore this fun Christmas sensory bin and discover new textures and sounds and older kids are able to try out their color matching skills in a new, fun way.
I’ll show you how to put together this sensory activity with all the materials and tips you need to make it a success and we’ll discuss all the benefits of great Christmas sensory activities like this one!
- Table Of Contents
How To Create A Grinch Sensory Bin
Step 1)
Fill your sensory bin or tray with green shredded paper.
Step 2)
Use your hands to push some of the green paper away to make an empty space shaped like a heart.
Step 3)
Fill the empty space with red shredded paper to make a heart shape.
Step 4)
Arrange green and red pom poms, bells and scoopers beside your sensory bin.
Step 5)
Play! You can either give your child some guided play ideas and ask them to add green items to the green areas and red items inside the heart, OR let them explore the sensory bin, tools, and supplies on their own to see what they come up with for some imaginative play.
Materials Needed:
- Green shredded paper
- Red shredded paper
- Small red and green pom poms
- Green and red jingle bells
- Spoons
- Bowls
- Sensory tub, bin, tray or sensory table
- Optional Fine Motor Skill Tools:
- Helping Hands Fine Motor Tool Set
- (or child safe tongs and tweezers)
Variation Ideas
You can easily make some changes to this Grinch Sensory Bin to suit your needs and ideas. Instead of shredded paper you could use brown raffia. You can also use rice, beans, or chickpeas that have been dyed with red and green food coloring.
Instead of green and red pompoms and bells, you could use small plastic ornaments, coiled pipe cleaners, or miniature Christmas light bulbs. Any of these would be a great addition to this bin. Whatever red and green Christmas items you have could be added in.
You could also experiment with different shapes by adding cutouts of Grinch faces or Christmas trees made from colored foam or cardstock. If you have tools like small spoons and tongs in different colors, try red and green ones that are holiday-themed for an added layer of playfulness.
Tips, Tricks and Guided Play Suggestions
Encourage children to describe the sensations they feel in order to foster language development.
Feel free to integrate Grinch-themed stories or songs during playtime to connect the sensory experience with the familiar story.
Use descriptive language during play to expand vocabulary. Discuss the colors, shapes, and textures of the materials.
Ask open-ended questions to prompt conversation and imaginative thinking.
Connect the sensory bin experience to other learning activities. For example, use the sensory bin as inspiration for drawing or painting Grinch-themed artwork.
Benefits of this Grinch Sensory Bin
Sensory Exploration:
This Grinch sensory bin engages multiple senses, promoting sensory exploration and stimulation. The different textures of crinkly paper, fuzzy pom poms and smooth bells create a cute Grinch heart. The bells make a jingling sound and the bright colors are a feast for the eyes. This bin enhances tactile development through the varied textures of materials used.
Fine Motor Skills:
It can help improve fine motor skills as children use scoopers, spoons, and fine motor tools to manipulate the materials in the bin in different ways. It also encourages hand-eye coordination through scooping, pouring, size sorting and arranging.
Creativity and Imagination:
Fosters creativity and imagination by allowing children to explore and create their own scenarios within the sensory bin.
Promotes open-ended play, encouraging children to invent stories and use the materials in unique ways.
Cognitive Development:
This sensory play supports cognitive development by introducing colors, shapes, and thematic elements, promoting early learning in a playful context.
It also encourages problem-solving as children decide how to arrange and interact with the materials.
Social Interaction:
This type of play can enhance social interaction and cooperation if multiple children engage in the activity together.
It facilitates communication and sharing as the children discuss their creations and ideas.
Final Thoughts
I hope this hands-on Christmas activity brings the little ones in your life a whole lot of sensory fun this Christmas season! This Grinch sensory bin is a great way to learn and play, which is what we’re all about here at Crafty Kids Play. Check out this Christmas Tree Sensory Bin to keep the fun going.
Whether it’s your first time making a sensory activity or you’re a seasoned pro, you can follow the step-by-step instructions and create your own sensory bin the easy way!
Stick around Crafty Kids Play for more sensory play ideas, Christmas activities and fun for kids of all ages!
Christmas Tree Sensory Bin (Easy Fun Winter Activity)
