Sensory Bin with Beans

Living in Montana, there are a lot of beautiful and fun things to do in the summer time, but in the winter we are trapped inside for the most part.  The city we live in is pretty nice and has a few things to occupy our time indoors.  Every week we go to the library for Tiny Tales, the children's museum, and the mall where they have an indoor play area for toddlers, but even then, we still get a little bored.

 

One of the things I decided to do was create a sensory bin for Dustin to play with.    I bought a shallow plastic bin from Target (around $5), black and pinto beans, $0.99 buckets and shovels, and there you have it.  (NOTE: I wouldn't use pinto beans.  They seam to be more brittle and crack apart easily.)  To create less of a mess, I stuck the bin in our pack and play (that we don't use anymore).

 

 I wish I had thought of this sooner, because he loves it!  For months and MONTHS now, Dustin has been extra needy and won't leave my side.  It makes it really difficult to do any chores around the house, but after I made him a sensory bin, he will sometimes play for 15-20 minutes before he asks to get out.  That's enough time for me to do some dishes!

I don't leave him alone with it just yet since he still puts stuff in his mouth.  Every now and then we'll catch him trying to eat a bean, so be cautious if your child is still going through that phase :)