The toddlers and preschoolers in my daycare love sensory bins, and they’ve really been getting into playing with our toy dinosaurs lately, so today, I made this dinosaur sensory bin for them to enjoy. It’s a combination of a small world, sensory bin and water play all wrapped up into one fun activity for kids. Â What’s not to love?
With the temps as warm as they’ve been, we’ve been doing lots of cool water play activities here this week.   Our Ocean bin was a huge hit  yesterday.  The morning, I drained it, and re-arranged things for today’s dinosaur activity bin.
I added a some rocks, stones and pebbles from our beloved stone collection, some plants from the garden and a couple of chunky sticks that have been in the sandbox for the past year or so.
I scooped most of the rocks to one end of the bin to form a “beach” and I poured in a jug of water that I coloured with a few drops each of blue and green food colouring.
Then I added all the dinosaurs and reptiles I could find. Â The Hooligans loved it.
Who wouldn’t? Â This is such a great way to keep cool on a hot day. Â And it’s so easy to pull an activity like this together. Â Just a few items and a basin of water.
Inexpensive and simple but it encourages such imaginative play.
If your Hooligans are very young, and stones and beads are a choking concern for you, leave them out. Â They’ll be happy to just have the animals in the water. Â The baby was trying to mess around with things when I was setting up the bin, so I tossed a couple of fish and some corks into the bowl of water that the Hooligans wash their hands in when we’re outside, and she was more than happy splashing around in that while I did what I had to do.
If you liked our dinosaur activity bin, you’ll love:
Dino Dig – Â Melting Ice with Salt and Water
Water Bin with Tubes and Funnels
Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.
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Elizabeth Marie Allen
This looks just wonderful! I can’t wait to make one! Thanks!!!
brenesflowers
Totally put a small one together as soon as I saw it! Jacob (2yrs) is loving it!
Thank you!!
Tansy Dolls
I love all the new table ideas! Thanks for the great examples!
happyhooligans
You’re welcome! We’re on a bit of a kick with them here these days! Glad you’re liking them! 🙂
Gloria Lauture
Wow! I absolutely love this idea. I teach 4 and 5 year old kiddos and they will love this. Thank you so much for the idea.
Amy
Just thought I’d let you know I included a link to your dinosaur sensory bin on my personal blog. Such a cute idea! Thanks for the post!
Amy Senter
http://www.amyroachsenter.blogspot.com/2013/04/10-outdoor-toddler-activities.html
happyhooligans
Well, thank you, Any! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Courtney
This is the most beautiful dinosaur sensory bin that I have ever seen! Thanks for linking it up to the Discover and Explore linky!
Sheila
This is really great. So glad I found you. Pinned! I love that you took regular items and opened a whole new world for young imagination 🙂
happyhooligans
Thank you, Sheila! I’m so glad you’ve found me too! I hope you get lots of inspiration from my site. 🙂
Catherine nixon
It’s perfect, can’t wait to try out with the children
Tina Shone Hulsey-Truelove
My boys would love this. We have plenty of dinosaurs and rocks. Now, please excuse me while I go empty out a container and grab some plastic plants. How fun! Thank you for sharing this wonderful idea!
happyhooligans
You’re so welcome, Tina! Have fun!
Shawna
Did the water get gross after a week?
happyhooligans
I switch the water out every day, Shawna. I just drain the old off, fill it up again and re-arrange the contents of the bin – takes 5 minutes.
Ellen Bober
Did a quick and dirty version this morning with just rocks, sticks from the park we live next to, and leaves and grass from the backyard with live-in 2 1/2 yo grandson T-man. Howling success! Our own dinosaur park! Sometimes simplest is perfect! Would post a pic but not sure how via my droid…where are the 10yo’s when you need them!
happyhooligans
Wonderful, Ellen! Isn’t it great with those simple activities result in so much fun! So glad you gave it a go!
Linda
I made a “Barbie beach” once for my girls, I took a cardboard refrigerator lid box, a Rubbermaid cake lid, added blue water, sand shells, plastic plants for alms, and then Barbie’s! I can’t tell you what a. Great time we had, it was great!
Catherine @craftykaki
I love this! I can’t wait to do this with our little guy!
basket random
Did a rough and ready version this morning using nothing but rocks and sticks from the park that is adjacent to where we live.
Jackie Currie
Wonderful! I hope the children enjoyed it!