Sensory bins have been one of our favorite independent play activities with our 4 year old and this ocean sensory bin for toddlers (and big kids!) might be our favorite one we have made yet!
This article will include a step by step tutorial for how to make the sensory bin base, a resource list for supplies, and some creative play ideas to get you and your kids started.
Ocean Sensory Bin Base Step by Step Tutorial
Making this ocean sensory bin base couldn’t be easier with just a few simple supplies! (This would also work great for a mermaid themed bin, or anything involving water like a pond or lake!)
Step One: Separate your container of dried pearl couscous into 3 separate ziploc bags (quart or sandwich size is fine!). A 24 ounce container was just the right amount to make for the bin I usually use.
Step Two: Add a good squeeze of metallic acrylic paint to each bag (I’ve linked the specific brand and colors here). I used about 20% of the bottle for each bag. You also want to add a little bit of water to thin out the paint. I used about 1 tbsp of water for each bag.
Step Three: Shake it like a polaroid picture! This is a great time to get your kids involved to help you shake the bags. Shake it longer than you think you need to, and also try massaging the couscous around to ensure a nice even and opaque coating on all of the pieces.
Step Four: Spread out the coucous on a cookie sheet with a layer of parchment paper on it. I used a plastic fork to spread it all out evenly without getting paint on my hands.
Let the couscous dry and fully set overnight. After a few hours, I went ahead and broke up any pieces that had clumped together but you’ll want to make sure you let this dry longer than you think you should to ensure the paint has fully set and cured.
Step Five: Combine the couscous together for a pretty water effect! The feel of this sensory base is so fun to play with. I’ve found myself gravitating towards playing with it when we have had it out!
Finally, go ahead and add your favorite ocean accessories to your bin! You could include fish, whales, turtles, painted pasta for anemones, mermaids, seashells, etc! This is where you can really customize and change up how you use this sensory bin base!
Finally, go ahead and add your favorite ocean accessories to your bin! You could include fish, whales, turtles, painted pasta for anemones, mermaids, seashells, etc! This is where you can really customize and change up how you use this sensory bin base!
If you want to read more ideas on different ways to make sensory bins, read this article all about how to make sensory bins!
Supplies List for Ocean Sensory Bin
- Pearled couscous
- Metallic acrylic paint in 3 ocean colors
- Ziploc bags
- Plastic utensil for spreading out the couscous
- Parchment paper
- Cookie sheets (or other flat surface)
- Ocean related toys
You can find all these items, including similar paint colors to what I used, on Amazon HERE!
Want more fun and creative play ideas for your toddlers?
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Creative Sensory Bin Play Ideas
Ocean Treasure Hunt
Hide different shells, coins, and small ocean animals in the couscous base and have your kids hunt for the different pieces! You could combine this with a small list to work on counting, literacy, and fine motor skills
Sort by Color
Give your kids cups and have them sort the different ocean animals by color, size, etc. This is a great opportunity to practice sorting, fine motor skills, and early STEM skills. They could also sort the couscous by color for a more intensive fine motor activity, but this is pretty tedious!
Fishing Game
This sensory bin base would be a fun way to use magnetic fish and a magnetic fishing pole! Hide the fish down in the water while your kids use their hand eye coordination to “fish” – a very natural way to learn about magnets and how they work, too!
Ocean Rescue
Use small boats and Little People toys for open ended play where they can fish, play pirates, pretend they are on a voyage, rescue the Little People to take back to shore, etc!
Ocean Floor Decorating
You could paint dried pasta in different shapes and include them as supplies to build their own unique ocean floor! You would paint the pasta using the same method you painted the couscous.
Scooping and Pouring
As simple as this sounds, kids love the play schema of transferring. Most kids will spend a good amount of time scooping, pouring and transferring the couscous base from container to container. Give them small cups, small containers, mini ladels, small scoops, etc. I’ve linked some great sensory bin tools HERE in the supplies list, but you likely have a lot of great options at home in your kitchen, too!.
Sensory Play for Kids!
As a speech therapist and as a mom, I’ve seen firsthand how sensory play is so good for emotional regulation, independent play skills, boosting opportunities for language development, and improving fine motor skills. For my 4 year old, it is a favorite activity and always a good day when it is time to switch up our bin! I hope you found this Ocean Sensory Bin for Toddlers (and Big Kids!) to be a helpful tutorial. Comment below if you gave it a try and what other sensory bin themes your kids have enjoyed!
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I love this!! This is such a great idea! Even though my daughter isn’t a toddler anymore she will love this! Joined your email list as well!
This ocean sensory bin looks absolutely adorable! I love how simple the painted couscous base is to create, and the metallic colors really give it that ocean-inspired feel. Sensory bins are such a wonderful way to encourage imaginative play, fine motor skills, and independent exploration.
Great post. My daughter makes a lot of sensory bins and she had never used pearl coucous in her bins. Thanks for the great post.