I have been very lazy about updating the kids sensory bins over the summer, my excuse has been that we are enjoying the garden and the sand table (well really mud table) but with the weather turning a bit I decided to make a new bin.  Well technically there is nothing new I just took our old bins mixed them up a bit changed the animals and the result is two bins and two very happy kids (and lets be honest – probably more importantly two happy parents who are being left in peace for most of the afternoon.)

For a change I used two of the green trays (Ikea plastic green trays from a kids toy storage unit) just because I thought the green colour would go well with the animal/ start of autumn theme (at a recent trip to a farm the kids noticed that some of the leaves on two trees where changing colour so I have been informed that autumn is here).  I have included photos of the two trays showing all the items separately but in reality as soon as the playing starts it all gets mixed up.

The first tray included :

• some British toy animals out of our animal bin
• some autumn leaves (artificial leaves left over from an art project last autumn)
• some tree bark that I picked up at a local garden center.
• green shredded paper – great for making pretend bird nests and hiding animals in
• some artificial flowers (also left over from an old art project)
• some plastic Easter eggs – great for sorting and using as animal homes if you add some of the shredded paper

The second tray included :

• some of their toy insects including some wind up insects (trying to get Blue to strengthen his fingers)
• popping corn / kidney beans / butter beans / red beans
• some pebbles that we got at the garden center
• a few of the plastic Easter eggs

As soon as the kids saw the trays they immediately went for the toy animals and started making up stories using the animals.  Blue quickly removed the green shredded paper and made one of the toy birds a nest while Pink hid the moles in the bean mixture.  The 2 trays have kept the kids completely occupied for the last 2 hours and that is just on the first day. I am sure they will be played with a lot in the coming week.  I do not have lots of photos of the kids playing with the tubs as I honestly did not want to distract them (I was just enjoying my cup of tea and some quiet time too much).