Looking for ways to incorporate learning using Itsy bitsy spider? Create a sensory bin to encourage fine motor skills, creativity and imagination.
Sensory bins are great to reinforce learning, increase vocabulary and encourage pretend play. I will share two sensory bins we created.
The first bin is for those still mouthing everything. We made it water based, and of course water is edible safe.
The second one is using materials for those kids that already do not put things in their mouth. We use dry rice and slime as our sensory base fillers.
Water based isty bitsy Spider sensory bin
Age: babies and toddlers that still mouth everything
Materials:
- Sensory bin
- Colander
- Empty bottle of soda
- Toy Spider
- Wooden sun
- Cup
- Water
Directions:
- Cut the end bottom of the soda bottle and secure it around with duct tape to protect any sharp edges. This will be our spout in which the Itsy Bitsy Spider climbs up, it will also be a fun large funnel you can save and use on other sensory bins later on.
- Using a sensory bin, fill it up with enough water that Your toddler can scoop and pour the water from the cup.
- Use the colander as the rain when playing along with the bin. Sing along the nursery rhyme And use the props to re-enact the story.
Rice ans slime sensory bin for Itsy bitsy Spider
Age: Tabbies that don’t mouth everything and 2’s
Materials:
- Green Colored Rice (see below)
- Blue Slime
- Plastic Spiders
- Wooden Sun
- Paper towel Tube
- Sensory Bin
- (if you don’t have the spider, sun, or paper towel tube you can use the puppets from the Sing and Learn Spider pack)
This bin was a bit of an improvised bin. I knew I wanted to make one but I wasn’t expecting to do it right then and there so I just used what I had around, that’s why you see I didn’t have enough green rice and these are not an Instagram friendly photos lol. But he loved it and sang the song as he put the spider up the tube and down into the rain.
HOW TO MAKE GREEN COLORED RICE
Follow the recipe below and use green food coloring. You can replace the vinegar with hand sanitizer or alcohol and achieve the same result.
Ingredients
- 3 cups of White rice (1 cup per color)
- 1 Tbs of Vinegar
- 10-15 drops of Food Coloring (pick yourself color)
- 1 gallon Ziplock or Tupperware container
- Aluminum paper
- Tray
- Optional- essential oils
Instructions
- Measure 1 Tbsp of vinegar into zip lock or Tupperware
- Mix in food coloring into to the vinegar
- Measure 1 cups of white rice and add into the ziplock
- Close ziplock and shake, shake, shake to mix well.
- Optional – add some essential oils to remove the vinegar smell from the rice
- If the color is too dull, add additional food coloring until desired color is achieved
- Cover a tray with aluminum foil
- Spread colored rice into aluminum foil and allow for it to dry
- Repeat process with other color to create 🌈 rainbow rice
- Place on sensory bin for a fine motor skills activity
USE SLIME FOR THE WATER
Why does this slime look weird? It was actually failed attempt to do slime with clear glue but the texture was a fun one. It is like Playdough got married with slime, so I let it and Manu loves it. You can use just Playdough or just slime to recreate the bin.
Use Recycled MATERIALS
A paper towel roll or toilet paper roll is a great recycled item to add to your sensory bin. You can cut it in half vertically to allow the spider to climb IN or leave it intact as we did.
Last Thoughts
Creating a sensory bin themed by Itsy Bitsy Spider is simple and a lot of fun. Play the nursery rhyme in the background as you recreate the song using the sensory bin.