Cheerios Starter Sensory Bin

Last updated on March 6th, 2024

Inside: This Cheerios sensory bin activity is the perfect place to start if you’re new to sensory play. Sensory bin activities are a great way for your little one to work on their skills while also teaching independent play. Check out all the details in this post!

Why Sensory Bins Are So Helpful

Using sensory bins for activity time is a wonderful way for your child to learn independent play. They are perfect for keeping your little ones entertained while you have a couple of moments to yourself. You can set up a sensory bin and sit back and relax or get some stuff done on your to do list.

Sensory bins are meant to stimulate your child’s senses. For example, when playing with a rainbow rice sensory bin, their sense of sight (colors), touch (feeling the rice pour through their fingers), sound (hearing the rice poured out), and smell (add in a drop or two of essential oils) are all stimulated.

This sort of play can be both engaging and relaxing for young children and can open up so many new avenues of learning. It helps them learn fine motor, language, cognitive, and even social skills (when doing sensory bins with a friend).

What You Need

If you’re interested in trying a sensory bin with your child, but are not sure where to start, this simple Cheerio sensory bin is a good one to begin with.

Sensory bins shouldn’t be overly complicated to set up. Also, they can be as messy (or not) as you are comfortable with. This Cheerios sensory bin activity can be set up with just a few items found throughout the house. And it definitely isn’t as messy as some of the other bins.

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Supplies Needed For Cheerios Sensory Bin Activity:

• Box of plain Cheerios (the flavored ones tend to be a bit sticky so I’d avoid those)
• A clean rectangular empty bin
• Pouring, scooping, digging, and sifting items, such as:
  • plastic cups
  • measuring cups + spoons
  • strainers
  • mixing spoons
  • toilet paper rolls/paper towel rolls
  • plastic Easter eggs
  • bath or beach toys (shovels, rakes, cups with holes)
  • funnels
  • tweezers
• Any filler items that seem fun such as:
  • mini trucks or cars
  • mini animal figurines or dinosaurs
  • jingle bells
  • etc.

You can use items found throughout your kitchen and house or buy ones specifically designed for children. I’ve linked some of my favorites in the list above. Either option will work just fine! Again, this set up should be easy.

What To Do

All you need to do is pour a box of cereal into the bin and add a handful of different pouring/sifting/digging items. Toss in a few extra items like little trucks for fun and then let your child go to town.

You’ll be amazed at how long they stay engaged with this activity. They’ll have fun exploring the different ways to pour and sift the Cheerios.

They will most definitely eat the Cheerios too. You could just do the activity during snack time, honestly. Also, Cheerios will spill out of the bin, so be prepared for sweeping or vacuuming up afterward. But sweeping up is a small price to pay for so much learning and fun. Bonus if you have dogs to do the vacuuming for you!

If this is their first time doing a sensory bin, start with leading by example. Demonstrate how to pour, scoop, dig, and also how to bury trucks before encouraging them to give it a try. Chances are they will jump right in and take over and allow you to sit back to enjoy your coffee, maybe check your emails and relax for awhile.

When To Do Sensory Bins

I sometimes do sensory bins on days that I know I need a break (if I’m feeling unwell or very tired) or If I need some uninterrupted minutes to complete a task (meal prep or menu planning). But we also do them just for fun when we are in a toy rut and especially when we are trapped in the house for months on end in the winter or during rainstorms.

They really are a great way to turn the day around and you will have so much fun watching your little one explore and play in unique ways.

Once you get the hang of it, you can make all sorts of sensory bins; ones for specific holidays or seasons, food ones, water ones, muddy ones, etc. So many fun options! If you’re looking for other activities, check out this post detailing how to create a cute craft for the book The Very Hungry Caterpillar.

What is your kid’s favorite sensory bin? Let me know by leaving a comment!