Looking to have some fun with kinetic sand this Easter as a sensory activity for your toddler? Enjoy this SIMPLE – no mess – Easter Sensory Bin for toddlers and preschoolers!
My 2 year old LOVED playing with the items! Even better? It took me 30 seconds to set up, and 30 seconds to clean up! Plus I only spent $2 on supplies (we already had the kinetic sand!)
Sensory play is so important for a child's developing mind and this low mess activity is perfect to do at home, indoors, on a rainy Spring day all season long!
Plus the supplies/items are PERFECT to include in a Toddler Easter Basket if you want to avoid candy!
Watch more Easter Activities For Toddlers:
Supplies
- Bin (we use this one from Ikea, but these work GREAT for Sensory bins)
- Kinetic Sand (this is what we have – keeps things more Montessori)
- Easter Eggs (Using these from the Dollar Tree but you can Shop on Amazon here!)
- Bunnies (loved this cute one or this one!)
- Whatever else you'd like!
Easter Bunny Sensory Bin: Beach Bunny Style with Kinetic Sand
For this Easter themed sensory bin, you'll want to use some kinetic sand (the brand we have and love since it's basically just beach sand mixed with a polymer – making it the most montessori experience) and some Easter themed trinkets!
What are the benefits of kinetic sand?
Kinetic sand is an amazing sensory experience that has been said to support children with social and emotional development as the texture is relaxing/calming. Plus it works fine motor skills for physical development.
Is kinetic sand better than Play-Doh?
I think so! First, it's got way cleaner ingredients. My general rule of thumb, anytime we can give our kids something with the simplest ingredients is generally better.
Second, the kind we have is uncolored and looks and feels like real wet beach sand, providing the most montessori experience of “real life” materials.
Third, we find kinetic sand way more engaging. You can mold it into different shapes just like Play-Doh (we even use this set of Play-Doh tools/toys with it!), but it also breaks apart in a way that's more engaging and seems to provide a better STEM experience.
Lastly, I found that Play-Doh has so many teeny tiny bits that break off, get stuck under my daughters finger nails, and just generally seems to get left behind/stuck in more places than kinetic sand. Kinetic sand feels like an easier clean up to me at home.
With that said, we use Play-Doh for in the car or at appointments out of the house since kinetic sand pulls away from itself when you hold it up/let gravity do it's thing.
How my toddler (2 year old) enjoyed this activity:
My daughter absolutely loves kinetic sand, she plays with it almost every day. We keep it in one of the bins that stays in her sensory table at all times. I just swap out the items in it every now and then.
Unsurprisingly, this has probably been her favorite Easter Toddler Activity!
I knew she'd love creating a little Beach Bunny sensory experience! You can really up the “beach” theme by adding surf boards like these or just stick with a few Easter themed items.
She loved filling the eggs with the sand and bunnies and shaking them around. She also buried, rolled, and scooped with the Easter Eggs.
My daughter also just loves tiny toys like the bunnies I used. She buries them, pulls them out, puts them to bed, has them “holds hands” and “hug” so I knew this Easter themed sensory bin would be a hit – combining all of her favorites.
She has already played with it for HOURS over the past week.
Set up and clean up time:
This took me 1 minute to set up and 1 minute to clean up. Granted we have this sensory bin table and on the one side I always leave the kinetic sand, so all I had to do was swap out the objects in the bin for the Easter themed ones.
As for clean up, the kinetic sand adheres together, so I usually ask my daughter to help me do a quick scan to make sure we got any loose pieces off the ground and into the bin. Then we put the bin back in the table and cover it with a lid. It takes less than a minute to clean up and is by far my favorite sensory bin experience.
How to store kinetic sand:
Kinetic sand doesn't dry out, so you really just want to keep it somewhere that's sealed from dust or any other elements you don't want getting in it. We keep it in a bin with a loose lid, but you can store it in a ziploc if you prefer.
More Activities!
More Spring Toddler Activity Ideas:
- Easter Egg Stacking STEM Challenge: Toddler + Preschooler Learning Activity
- Sticky Wall Easter Egg Activity For Toddlers
- Easter Sensory Bin with Kinetic Sand: Beach Bunny
- Easter Bunny “Holey Roller” Egg Roll: Easter Game For The Whole Family!
- Bunny Hop: Easter Toddler Activity for Gross Motor Skills
- Pin The Tail On The Bunny DIY Game (FREE Printable!)
- Easter Egg Roll: Indoor Rainy Day Spring STEM Activity For Preschool Kids
- Fizzy Eggs: Vinegar And Baking Soda Science Experiment With Eggs
- Dollar Tree Easter Basket for 2 Year Old (NO CANDY!)
- The BEST Easter Activities for Toddlers: Simple, Indoor, At Home [+FREE PRINTABLE!]
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- How To Make Foam | EASY SENSORY PLAY BUBBLE FOAM RECIPE
- How To Make Playdough
- 7 At Home Toddler Activities With Household Items You Already Own
- 5 Ways To Use Grapes For Sensory Play With Toddlers: Taste Safe, Edible, Food Activities I Do With My 15 Month Old