Spring Sensory Bins for Toddlers: Fun, Messy, and Totally Worth It!
Share Me
Ah, springtime! The season of blooming flowers, chirping birds, and toddlers who somehow manage to get dirt on every surface of your home within five minutes of waking up. If you’re looking for a fun, engaging, and somewhat-contained way to let your little one explore the wonders of spring, sensory bins are the answer!
Sensory bins are magical little worlds where toddlers can scoop, pour, squish, and dig while developing their fine motor skills, creativity, and patience (well, as much patience as a toddler can muster). Plus, they give you five whole minutes to drink your coffee before it goes cold or down my redbull before it gets warm —if I’m lucky.
So, grab a plastic bin, some household items, and let’s dive into these adorable, messy, and spring-themed sensory bins that will keep your toddler entertained (and hopefully not trying to eat the materials).
If you are not sure what type of bins to use, I firstly just want to say that you do not need those fancy tables with bins in them. I have two bins that are perfect size from the hospital that I dried my breast feeding bottles in. Dollar tree has some great new bins in there now that are different sizes and perfect for this type of activity.
1. Spring Garden Sensory Bin 🌸🌱
What You’ll Need:
- Dried black beans (for soil)
- Faux flowers or real ones (if you’re brave)
- Small plastic gardening tools
- Mini flower pots
- Plastic bugs or butterflies
Nothing screams spring like a tiny toddler garden. Pour some dried black beans into a bin as “soil” and let your little one plant and dig to their heart’s content. Bonus points if you can get them to actually help you with real gardening later!
2. Rainbow Rice Sensory Bin 🌈
What You’ll Need:
- Uncooked rice (about 4-5 cups)
- Food coloring (various colors)
- Vinegar (to set the color)
- Small scoops, spoons, or mini cups
This one is a toddler favorite because, well, it’s bright, colorful, and messy—everything a toddler loves. Dye the rice using food coloring and a tiny bit of vinegar, let it dry, and then layer it into the bin like a beautiful rainbow.
💡 Personal Mom Story:
I made the mistake of leaving my toddler unattended with this bin, and she flipped it upside down like a sandcastle. Rainbow rice. Everywhere. I’m still finding grains in my socks. Lesson? Always supervise sensory play!
3. Baby Chick Sensory Bin 🐣✨
What You’ll Need:
- Yellow dyed rice or shredded yellow paper (for “chick nests”)
- Plastic Easter eggs
- Small fuzzy chick toys or rubber duckies
- Tweezers or spoons for fine motor practice
This bin is perfect for Easter or springtime, letting toddlers explore soft textures and tiny chicks while practicing fine motor skills with scooping and sorting.
4. Muddy Pigs Sensory Bin 🐷🌿
What You’ll Need:
- Chocolate pudding or brown oobleck (cornstarch + water) for “mud”
- Small plastic pig toys
- A mini sponge or brush (for “washing” the pigs)
- Small tub of water for rinsing
This one is messy, hilarious, and toddler-approved. Kids can dip pigs into the “mud” and then wash them off, learning about clean vs. dirty while enjoying a fun sensory experience.
💡 Personal Mom Story:
The first time I did this, my toddler dipped her entire hand in the “mud” and licked it before I could stop her. At least it was chocolate pudding! Lesson? Be prepared for taste-testing.
5. Butterfly and Flowers Sensory Bin 🦋🌷
What You’ll Need:
- Dry pasta (bowtie pasta works best for “butterflies”)
- Washable paint or markers (to color the pasta)
- Faux flowers
- Tweezers or small tongs
Toddlers will love sorting and fluttering “butterflies” through this bin. Bowtie pasta makes the perfect tiny butterflies when colored with washable paint or markers. They can pick up butterflies and match them to flowers for a fun sorting and motor skill challenge.
My older children enjoyed coloring in all of the bowtie pasta butterflies while my toddler got to play with the finished product.
6. Baby Duck Pond Sensory Bin 🦆💦
What You’ll Need:
- Blue water beads or dyed water (for the pond)
- Small rubber duckies
- Mini floating lily pads (cut out of craft foam)
- Scoops, cups, or nets
This is the perfect water-themed sensory bin for toddlers who love splashing and playing. They can scoop up rubber duckies, watch the water beads bounce, or try to balance ducks on the lily pads (which is much harder than it sounds!).
💡 Personal Mom Story:
I made the mistake of leaving my toddler alone for two minutes—she dumped the entire bin on the floor, and I was finding water beads for weeks. Lesson? Always have a containment plan!
7. Springtime Cloud Dough Bin ☁️🌷
What You’ll Need:
- 2 cups flour + ¼ cup baby oil (for soft cloud dough)
- Silk or plastic flowers
- Small gardening tools
- Plastic bugs or butterflies
Cloud dough is like kinetic sand, but softer and smells amazing with baby oil. Toddlers can scoop, squish, and shape the dough while hiding flowers and bugs inside. It’s messy but oh-so-fun!
💡 Mom Tip:
Make sure to use a deep bin—this stuff spreads like crazy if toddlers start flinging it. If they do? Take a deep breath and remind yourself that childhood is fleeting. 😂
8. Rainy Day Sensory Bin 🌧️☔
What You’ll Need:
- Blue pom-poms or water beads (for raindrops)
- Cotton balls (for clouds)
- Tiny toy umbrellas
- Mini rubber boots (if you have them)
This bin helps toddlers explore weather concepts while playing with tiny raindrops and “fluffy” clouds. Let them shake the bin to make it “rain” or scoop raindrops into cups!
9. Butterfly Lifecycle Sensory Bin 🦋🐛
What You’ll Need:
- Dried pasta shapes (rotini = caterpillars, shells = cocoons, bowtie pasta = butterflies)
- Fake leaves and twigs
- A small plastic jar (for the “chrysalis”)
- Small sorting cups
Teach toddlers the magic of transformation by letting them explore different “stages” of a butterfly’s life using pasta! They can sort the caterpillars, cocoons, and butterflies while learning about nature.
10. Pond Life Sensory Bin 🐸💦
What You’ll Need:
- Water beads or blue-dyed water
- Plastic frogs, ducks, and fish
- Small rocks or pebbles
- Scoops and nets
Spring is the perfect time to introduce your toddler to pond ecosystems! Fill a bin with blue water beads (or water with food coloring) and add in tiny toy animals. Toddlers love scooping and “rescuing” little frogs and fish from the water.
If it’s nice and warm outside you could always choose to place the items in a baby pool for an extra splash of fun.
11. Carrot Patch Digging Bin 🥕🐰
What You’ll Need:
- Brown kinetic sand or dry black beans (for “soil”)
- Small plastic carrots or real baby carrots
- Mini shovels or scoops
- Small toy bunnies
This bin is perfect for Easter or spring gardening fun! Toddlers will love digging, planting, and harvesting their tiny carrots while those sneaky toy bunnies try to “eat” them. Bonus points if you use real carrots for an edible surprise!
12. Ladybug Hunt Sensory Bin 🐞🌿
What You’ll Need:
- Green-dyed rice or shredded green paper (for “grass”)
- Plastic or painted rock ladybugs
- Mini magnifying glass
- Tweezers for picking up the ladybugs
This bin turns your toddler into a tiny explorer searching for hidden ladybugs in the “grass.” They can use tweezers to pick them up, working on their fine motor skills, or count how many they find. Bonus points if they actually let you count before chucking them everywhere!
Final Thoughts: Let the Sensory Fun Begin!
Spring sensory bins are so much fun, even if they create a glorious mess that will haunt your floors forever. But hey, at least your toddler is learning, laughing, and NOT using your makeup brushes as drumsticks for a few minutes.
Which bin will you try first? Let me know in the comments! And remember—embrace the chaos, enjoy the mess, and always have a vacuum nearby. 😂🌸
Vanessa Rooney – LDS Mum
Download Our Free Family Planner
Check out our free family organizer printables to help you stay on schedule during the week. Simply click the download button below.
