Easy Dinosaur Sensory Bin for Kids - Taming Little Monsters (2024)

This simple Dinosaur Sensory Bin is so easy to put together and will provide hours of fun for toddlers and preschoolers. My toddler used it like a regular sensory bin, while her older brother loved using it as a dinosaur small world instead. I don’t know about you, but I love it when I get an activity that keeps both of them engaged at their own levels.

Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times. Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

Dinosaur Activities for Kids

If you have a dinosaur lover at home or you’re a classroom teacher looking for inspiration, try some of these other dinosaur themed play ideas. Use playful learning to explore prehistoric times in a fun way. And of course, don’t forget to stock up on some amazing dinosaur books for your kids to read.

1. Salt Dough dinosaur fossils
2. Dinosaur Number Match Activity
3. Paper Plate Triceratops Craft
4. Baking Soda Dinosaur Eggs
5. Toilet Roll Dinosaurs

For more ideas, visit 25 Dinosaur Activities for toddlers and preschoolers.

Materials Needed

• Pumpkin Seeds
• Dinosaur figurines
• A large plastic tub
• Spoons, bowls, cups and other tools for pouring and scooping
• Trees, logs and other nature based props (optional)

How to Make a Dinosaur Sensory Bin

Step 1: Take a large container, or water table and fill it with pumpkin seeds

I chose pumpkin seeds because I had used them for my Counting Pumpkin Seeds Sensory Bin. However, you can use any sensory bin fillers that you like. Green rainbow rice, mud, or kinetic sand would all work wonderfully for this dinosaur sensory experience.

2. Decorate the tub with dinosaurs, trees and logs.

I used faux plant and dinosaur toys as the small parts for this sensory bin. I did this because I wanted it to double as a small dinosaur world play idea. It’s a great way for little paleontologists to have a dinosaur adventure that helps foster imaginative play.

The plastic trees I use for my small world creations are actually aquarium plants. Not only are they the perfect size for kids sensory bin ideas but I can also use them with both dry and wet sensory activities.

3. Add some spoons, bowls and cups.

When you’re gathering your sensory tools, remember that you can use whatever you have in the kitchen. My kids usually have so much fun using my kitchen utensils, because they feel like they are grown up when they get to use adult items. Which is also great for us, because it means I don’t need anything fancy for our sensory bins.

Different Ways to Play

Imaginative Play

Use the small toys in this themed sensory bin to go on a prehistoric adventure. You’re toy dinosaurs can go looking for food, explore the nearby volcano or any other fun ideas that your kids can come up with.

One thing that I wish I had done differently, was to include a small river for the dinosaurs. You can use blue gravel, small rocks or water beads to add in more textures to this dinosaur sensory play idea.

Scooping and Pouring

Use cups and spoons to scoop and pour the pumpkin seeds from one container to the other. This may seem like a simple thing to us, but this home play activity is filled with different opportunities for toddlers and preschoolers to learn new things.

Sorting and Classifying

Pick up each of the dinosaurs and sort them into different groups. This can be herbivores and carnivores, or into flying, swimming or walking animals.

STEM Challenges

One STEM challenge that I love is building animal towers, you can use the same idea with your toy dinosaurs instead. How many toy dinosaurs can you stack on top of each other before the entire tower comes falling down?

What You’re Learning

Sensory

Experience the different textures inside this small world. The trees, seeds, logs and dinosaurs will all have a different feel to them.

This sensory input is a great way to engage kids in learning, or as part of a sensory integration exercise for children with special needs.

Fine Motor Skills

Fine motor skills refer to the small muscles in the hand and fingers. Developing these skills are important in being able to write when the kids go to school, as well as being able to complete tasks independently. (For example, dressing and feeding themselves)

Picking up the small toy animals, scooping and pouring the seeds are all going to help young kids develop:

1. Pincer grip
2. Palmar grasp
3. Hand-eye coordination
4. Hand strength
5. Dexterity.

STEM

Science – Talk to your kids about the different dinosaurs they find and have a mini-science lesson. You can discuss things like:

1. What is that dinosaur called?
2. What does it eat?
3. How does it move?
4. Interesting facts you may know about that dinosaur.

Technology – Cups and spoons are an example of simple technology that we use on a daily basis.

We use them to hold and transfer liquids. If you have a measuring cup available for your kids to play with, the kind with the numbers written on the side, this is even better. Because it shows your kids how we use this cup to measure a precise volume.

Engineering – building animal towers is a fun engineering activity. Kids will have to design, make and test their towers to see what works best.

Math – When your kids are pouring and scooping water, they are also doing some informal measuring.

For example, they will learn that it takes 2 small cups filled with water to fill up the large bowl.

This is also a wonderful opportunity to practice counting. Count how many dinosaurs you have, how many seeds you have or how many spoons of seeds it takes to fill up the cup.

Are you going to make this Dinosaur Sensory Bin for your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.

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