Valentine's Day Sensory Bin

{Materials}

• Bin
• Small containers
• Flour
• Sugar
• Salt
• Rolled Oats
• Water
• Red food coloring
• Spoons
• Basting Brush
• Feathers
• Popsicle sticks
• Heart beads
• Heart felt cutouts

{Method}

• Add rolled oats to a container, mix a few tablespoons of water and a couple drops of food coloring.
• Combine and stir well. Adding coloring to water first makes it cover oats better.
• Add salt to a small container, add more red water mixture, stir. Not too much water as you don't want the salt to dissolve.
• Put the remaining ingredients in small individual containers.
• Place small containers in the bin.
• Place on kitchen table and have fun watching your happy kid explore!
• When finished place the lid on the bin and reuse everything again another time.

{Notes}

• This is the first time I have made a sensory bin.
• I didn't give my son any direction. I really wanted this to be an open activity where he could explore on his own.
• He started by using the basting brush on everything, then he put the red salt into the flour by hand, then started using the spoons, etc, etc.
• Eventually he emptied all of the containers one by one into the bin and stirred it all up.
• He really liked burying the heart beads and searching for them with the Popsicle sticks and basting brush.
• He is 28 months old and played with this sensory bin for 45 minutes straight! 
• He would have played longer but he started just tossing the flour mixture in the air so I decided to put it away for now. 
• Best to use away from carpet for easier cleanup.
• The oats, flour, salt, sugar and water mixture creates a great texture for playing in.  
• Reuse again and again!

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