How to Create a Color Sorting Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Inside: Learn how to create a color sorting sensory bin that also strengthens fine motor skills. Toddlers and preschoolers love this scooping, matching, and pouring activity!

Our toddlers and preschoolers love the water table.

Well, they love everything that involves water!

So, it’s only natural that I take what they love and use it to teach concepts. This color sorting water bin is full of water fun, with some learning taking place, too!

And this is a pretty cheap activity to put together! (We teachers like that. I know parents do, too!)

Just like our fine motor water squeezing activity, I added tools to strengthen the hands and fingers. And, just like our rubber duck sensory play tub, there’s lots of pouring going on.

What you will need:

• Plastic reusable ice cubes in different colors*
• Plastic cups in colors that match the cubes*
• Bug tongs
• Some sort of container to hold the water

(*I found our ice cubes and cups at our local dollar store. Score!)

Fill the bin with water (we keep ours shallow because it’s in the classroom).

Add materials. (I added a couple of funnels for extra fun. The toy colander just sort of “landed” in there. Funny how that happens!)

When all of the colors were sorted, our preschoolers tossed them all into our big funnel.

For those of you at home, try this activity in the bath tub and let me know how it goes!