Preschool Fairy Garden Sensory Bin DIY

Fairy Garden Sensory Bin

Roo has recently discovered fairies and dragons and elves and all of those magical things. It’s actually one of the few pretend play themes I can play with her without constantly trying to sneak a peek at my phone! So for a surprise, I made a Fairy Garden Sensory Bin, and I’m showing you how to make one too.

What is a Sensory Bin?

If you haven’t heard of sensory bins and their benefits before, I have a more detailed explanation in another post. Basically, it’s a small bin with some sort of filler then you add small toys and tools for scooping and transferring the filler. Roo LOVES them, she’s a huge sensory seeker. They can calm her down almost instantly and provide at least half an hour of quiet time.

How to make a Fairy Garden Sensory Bin

I have a couple of clear plastic storage bins I swap out with different themes periodically. They’re similar to these

Filler

I’m using a couple of different fillers for this bin:

Sand, because it’s one of Roo’s favorites and it fills lots of space

Moss, for a woodsy fairyland feel

Sticks and stones, for some natural elements

Flat blue marbles like you get for aquariums, to represent water

Toys

You can find a number of fairies, trees, mushrooms, and everything else you might need for a fairy garden. I made the fairies myself using wooden pegs and butterfly wings!

Simply paint the body, draw on a face with a fine tip sharpie, and hot glue the butterfly wings on the back. You can add yarn for hair too!

The Mushrooms I made from modeling clay. Watch my video tutorial here!

The glitter pinecones are from a previous post about Nature Crafts and you can find the tutorial there along with 9 other crafts.

Tools

I include a measuring cup, spoons, and a small bowl in every bin I make. These are usually used for scooping and transferring the filler.

**I’ve included a couple of lists of products I like to make this fairy garden sensory bin. They are affiliate links that will take you straight to the product description page.**

How it works

A sensory bin has many benefits. The main reason I keep them around is how engaging they are for Roo. She's actually playing in her fairy garden sensory bin right now as I take time to finish up this post! It is a quiet and calming activity that is perfect for when moms need to tend to their younger babies or caregivers need a break.

Younger kids might just have fun with the texture of the filler, others might enjoy transferring the filler back and forth with the tools. Older kids will use it as imaginative play and build a whole world inside that plastic container! Fairy Gardens are a trend right now for the young and young at heart. As I was setting the bin up for pictures, I even noticed how calming it was to spread the sand and pose the fairies. My Pinterest is full of Fairy Garden projects for adults!

I have noticed that not all kids take to sensory bins right away. I encourage you to test different types of fillers and find what your child likes best, and experiment with themes that will make them take an interest. I'm going to do a dinosaur themed one soon because Roo also loves dinos! (Fairies, Rainbows, and Dinosaurs...she really has a variety of interests!)

Have you tried sensory bins for your kids? How did they like it? What filler did you use and did you create a theme?

Please sign up to my email list and drop me an email and let me know. I change out themes every month or so and am constantly looking for new sensory bin ideas!