Looking for a fun way to keep little ones entertained this summer? These 22 unique summer sensory bin setup ideas are playful, creative, and refreshingly different. They’re perfect for sparking curiosity, encouraging hands-on learning, and making warm days extra exciting.
22 Summer Sensory Bin Ideas That Are Fun, Fresh, and Totally Unique
Sensory bins are a wonderful way to keep kids engaged, curious, and happily entertained, and summer is the perfect season to get creative with them. From beach-inspired themes to colorful water play, these setups turn simple materials into hands-on adventures that spark imagination and learning. They’re easy to put together, but the joy they bring is endless.
This collection features 22 unique summer sensory bin ideas you probably haven’t seen before. Whether you’re looking for cool water play, nature-inspired textures, or bright, seasonal themes, these setups will keep little ones busy while adding a splash of fun to warm, sunny days.
1. Honey Bug Sensory Bin
This sensory bin was filled with yellow rice, pom-poms, wooden scoops, and pretend bees for a sunny, bee-themed playtime. The setup is colorful and hands-on, perfect for toddlers to explore textures.
You can dye rice with food coloring and vinegar, then add toy bees, a DIY honeycomb from painted egg cartons, and small nature props like leaves and flowers. Toss in scoops or tongs for extra fine motor fun.
This kept my toddler engaged and curious, while helping build hand strength and imaginative thinking. I’d suggest this for any parent needing a creative summer activity.
2. Coloured Rise Sensory Bin
This bin is packed with rainbow-dyed rice, foam numbers, glittery stars, and shiny pom-poms that instantly catch a toddler’s attention. It’s bright, bold, and totally irresistible for little hands.
To make your own, dye rice in separate batches, layer the colors, then toss in number cutouts, sparkly foam shapes, and sensory tools like scoops or funnels. Keep everything contained in a shallow bin.
This is a great way to sneak in early number recognition while giving kids a colorful, tactile play session. I highly recommend it for sensory fun with a learning twist.
3. Shredded Paper Sensory Bin
This sensory bin features a red barn, green shredded paper as grass, and toy farm animals like cows, pigs, and sheep for pretend play. It’s simple but packed with imagination.
To recreate it, just use shredded green paper for the base, add a cardboard barn, and place plastic farm animals around it. A coiled rope makes a perfect little hay nest.
It’s perfect for sparking farm-themed storytelling and teaching animal names. I’d definitely suggest this for toddlers who love animals and roleplay.
4. Beads Sensory Bin
This bin is filled with colorful beads, rainbow toys, cups, and scoops that turn sensory time into a bright, tactile adventure. The rainbow theme adds a cheerful visual element toddlers love.
To make this, I used dyed chickpeas or water beads, tossed in rainbow stacking pieces, some small containers, scoops, and tongs for sorting and pouring. A deep bin helps keep things tidy.
It’s great for encouraging color matching, fine motor skills, and imaginative play. I’d totally recommend this for rainy days or summer play indoors.
5. Cotton Balls Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is filled with soft cotton balls and winter-themed picture cards, turning it into a snowy hide-and-seek game. It’s simple, clean, and perfect for indoor learning.
I just used cotton balls as snow, then laminated small themed cutouts and hid them inside for kids to find and match with the flashcards. A clear box helps keep it organized.
It’s a fun way to build vocabulary, matching skills, and sensory awareness. I’d definitely suggest this for toddlers learning new words through play.
6. Spaghetti Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is filled with rainbow-dyed spaghetti and hidden safari animals, making it a colorful jungle adventure for little hands. The texture is squishy, stretchy, and super engaging.
To recreate it, I boiled spaghetti and dyed each batch with food coloring, then laid them in sections by color. I added plastic animals, tongs, and scoops for sorting and searching.
It’s perfect for sensory exploration, color recognition, and animal identification. I’d highly recommend this for outdoor summer play—it’s a big hit with toddlers!
7. Sand Sensory Bin
This outdoor sand sensory bin is set up on a raised table with scoops, rakes, and buckets for digging fun. It’s perfect for two toddlers to play side-by-side under the sun.
All you need is a sand table or shallow bin, clean play sand, and a few kid-sized tools for scooping, pouring, or building. Optional lids help keep it clean between uses.
It’s a fantastic way to build coordination and social skills while keeping kids busy outdoors. I’d definitely recommend this as a backyard staple for summer.
8. Beans Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is filled with dry green beans and paired with wooden scoops, jars, and tongs for a calm, hands-on play setup. It’s beautifully simple and super soothing to explore.
To set it up, I poured dry mung beans into a shallow tray and added wooden kitchen tools for scooping, pouring, and pretend cooking. It’s mess-free and easy to store afterward.
It’s great for building fine motor control, focus, and imaginative play. I’d definitely suggest this for quiet time or Montessori-style toddler activities.
9. Dough Sensory Bin
This dough sensory setup includes green playdough, wooden stamps, toy frogs, and natural pieces arranged into a pond-themed play scene. Kids used sticks and rollers to imprint textures and tell little stories.
I made the dough at home with flour, salt, and food coloring, then paired it with small animal figures, plant pieces, and wooden tools. A sectioned tray keeps everything easy to access.
It’s amazing for sensory exploration, storytelling, and hand strength. I’d totally recommend this for nature-loving toddlers or an outdoor learning day.
10. Frozen Flower Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is filled with flower- and leaf-filled ice discs, letting toddlers explore frozen textures in a calm, beautiful way. It’s visually soothing and perfect for warm days.
To make it, I froze petals and leaves in silicone molds filled with water, then placed the frozen pieces on a shallow tray. You can add warm water or tools to help them melt.
It’s a gentle way to introduce temperature play and nature observation. I’d definitely suggest this for summer sensory fun with a relaxing twist.
11. Coloured Water Sensory Bin
This water sensory bin is filled with bright pink water and features funnels, tubes, and scoops for kids to pour and play. It’s super interactive and perfect for outdoor summer fun.
I dyed the water using a few drops of washable food coloring and set it up with a clear bin, funnels, cups, and PVC pipe stands for a playful water flow system.
It’s a fun way to explore cause and effect, teamwork, and basic science. I’d highly recommend this for keeping toddlers cool and curious on sunny days.
12. Chia Seed Sensory Bin
This ocean-themed sensory bin is made with hydrated chia seeds, toy sea creatures, and shells for a squishy, slippery play experience. The dark blue color adds a deep-sea vibe toddlers love.
To make this, I soaked chia seeds overnight with water and blue coloring, then poured them into a bin with scoops, fake plants, and animal toys. It’s super easy and safe for little hands.
It’s a fantastic way to explore new textures and support sensory regulation. I’d definitely recommend this for a calming and unique summer activity.
13. Feathers Sensory Bin
This sensory bin includes colorful feathers, googly eyes, playdough, and candy corn to build silly creatures. It’s light, creative, and great for imaginative play.
I set it up by placing feathers and craft pieces in a clear bin, then added brown playdough as a base for making faces or animal bodies. No rules—just fun assembling!
It’s perfect for creativity, fine motor development, and open-ended play. I’d suggest this for indoor craft days or when your toddler needs a gentle, focused activity.
14. Popcorn Sensory Bin
This popcorn-themed sensory bin uses dried corn kernels, cotton balls as “popped” corn, and red scoops and containers for a playful pretend snack setup. It’s bright, tactile, and super inviting.
I poured unpopped kernels into a large red bin, added themed popcorn boxes, measuring spoons, cotton balls, and some tweezers for scooping fun. It took just a few minutes to set up.
It’s perfect for sensory play, counting, and imaginative role play. I’d definitely recommend this one for movie-themed days or indoor summer fun.
15. Cornmeal Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is filled with soft cornmeal, mini pumpkins, and tiny buckets, creating a fall-themed digging setup perfect for toddlers. It’s gentle, textured, and safe for little hands.
To recreate it, I poured cornmeal into a large bin, added a few small pumpkins, scoops, and themed containers for pouring, scooping, and exploring. It’s great for babies too.
It’s a calming activity that encourages tactile play, scooping, and pretend harvesting. I’d definitely suggest this one for early sensory exploration or a fall-inspired setup.
16. Kinetic Sand Sensory Bin
This sensory bin uses kinetic sand and white pebbles to create a little racetrack, complete with toy cars and a mini digger. It’s fun, textured, and perfect for pretend construction play.
To make it, I shaped kinetic sand into a racetrack border, added smooth stones in the center, and placed small construction vehicles and toy cars on top. A bin with walls helps keep things neat.
It’s great for imaginative play, fine motor skills, and sensory feedback. I’d definitely recommend this setup for car-loving toddlers who enjoy building and digging.
17. Farm Sensory Bin
This farm-themed sensory bin is filled with dried corn kernels, mini trucks, a barn cutout, and fall leaves for a cozy, hands-on harvest play. It’s colorful, tactile, and full of tiny details to explore.
To make it, I poured popcorn kernels into a tray, then added toy vehicles, twigs, leaves, small pumpkins, and farm props. Everything was easy to gather from craft or toy bins.
It’s a great way to spark storytelling, explore textures, and introduce farm life. I’d definitely recommend this one for fall play setups or pretend play fans.
18. Leaves Sensory Bin
This sensory bin is filled with pink-colored water, floating flower petals, leaves, and droppers for a garden-themed water play setup. It’s vibrant, natural, and totally engaging for little ones.
To make this, I dyed water with a few drops of food coloring and added collected flowers and greenery. Then I placed droppers and small cups around for scooping and mixing.
It’s a relaxing way to explore nature, practice fine motor control, and encourage creative play. I’d absolutely suggest this for a sensory-rich outdoor activity with friends.
19. Pom-Poms Sensory Bins
This sensory bin is bursting with colorful pom-poms, little plastic houses, and labeled cards for each color, turning it into a sorting and matching activity. It’s cheerful, soft, and perfect for learning through play.
I filled a bin with pom-poms in all sizes, then added toy houses, sorting cups, and word cards for red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. Everything’s easy to swap or add to.
It’s a fantastic way to teach color recognition and sorting while boosting fine motor skills. I’d definitely recommend this for toddlers just starting to explore early learning concepts.
20. Stone Sensory Bins
This sensory bin is filled with small stones, construction vehicles, and corks to create a mini building zone. It’s hands-on, rugged, and perfect for little builders.
To make it, I poured clean pebbles into a round activity table and added diggers, trucks, and natural pieces like corks for stacking or hauling. Everything fits neatly into sections.
It’s great for pretend play, motor skill development, and creativity. I’d absolutely recommend this for truck-loving toddlers who enjoy realistic, open-ended setups.
21. Bird Seed Sensory Bins
This sensory bin is filled with birdseed, shredded paper, plastic eggs, and wooden bird-themed toys to create a sweet little nest scene. It’s soft, textured, and perfect for gentle pretend play.
I used birdseed as the base, added paper shreds for a nest, and included scoops, eggs, and a tiny wooden birdhouse. Everything stayed contained in a shallow white bin.
It’s a lovely way to explore nature themes while building fine motor skills. I’d definitely recommend this for springtime play or a calm sensory setup.
22. Dry Lentils Sensory Bins
This Lentils sensory bin is layered with orange lentils, black beans, and green split peas, topped with pumpkins, googly eyes, spiders, and playful props. It’s spooky, colorful, and full of textures to explore.
To make it, I used dried legumes for the base, arranged them in color sections, and added themed items like plastic fingers, mini jack-o’-lanterns, and stretchy ropes for creepy fun.
It’s perfect for sensory exploration, imaginative play, and seasonal excitement. I’d definitely recommend this for a fun, hands-on Halloween activity toddlers will love.