Planting-Inspired Sensory Play

When my daughter was 17 months old I prepared this sensory bin so she could start practicing scooping and pouring. Even though she was mostly just using her hands for sensory play, she had started showing an interest in using instruments so I got her started with these wooden scoops.

Though most sensory bins are more of an invitation to explore, this one is actually Montessori-aligned, in the sense that there was a specific purpose to the work – “planting/potting a flower”. This specific setup allows the child to practice scooping and pouring, refine fine motor skills, develop hand-eye coordination, and learn sequential reasoning.

Chickpeas are also a great sensory base to introduce sensory play to a younger child because it’s relatively easier to clean up (bigger grains) and to model to the child (and invite them to) cleaning up.

Bringing play to life:

• How about arranging flowers throughout the house with your little one?
• Talk about the different kinds of flowers you see, their differences and similarities. Ask them, “Which one is your favorite?”