Too Many Carrots Preschool Spring Sensory Bin

Last Updated on February 22, 2024 by Sheryl Cooper

Inside: This preschool spring sensory bin goes nicely with the garden theme, especially if you’ve read the book Too Many Carrots. We’ve added tongs, gardening gloves, and stuffed carrots for a fun fine motor activity!

It all started with a book I fell in love with, and some carrots I found in the dollar section of Target. In fact, when I found the carrots, there were only 6 left.

And I cheered. Thank goodness my husband gets this. Well, he’s used to it, since I’ve been teaching for over 17 years. You’d have thought I had won the lottery.

But seriously, I knew that I now had everything I needed for a fun preschool spring gardening sensory bin! I knew they’d love it, and I was right.

Too Many Carrots Preschool Spring Sensory Bin

So it all started with a book I fell in love with, and some carrots in the dollar section of Target. And yes I did take a photo of them! I had to share with my pals on Instagram! (Cheers to the 268 friends who liked and commented on it. They get it!)

What we used for this preschool spring sensory bin:

• Coffee beans
• Letter tiles (came from some game years ago)
• Tongs
• Terra cotta pot shaped silicone baking cups (you guys – these are the cutest and fit so nicely in small hands!) EDITED in 2024: Sadly the terra cotta pots are no longer available. But they do have these silicone cups that would work!
• Kids garden gloves

I tossed everything into our sensory bin before the children arrived. I had my cherished book waiting to be read.

CLICK HERE to see more fun spring sensory bins!

During our morning meeting I read Too Many Carrots. I love tying books in with our activities, by the way, and am doing even more the longer I teach. It just seems to bring our activities to life, and our preschoolers want to look at the book over and over again.

Once it was free-choice centers time, the lid came off our sensory bin, and the children dove right in.

Pouring is always the first thing our toddlers and preschoolers want to do with any sensory bin we have. I will be honest – I’ve seen some really cute sensory bins on Pinterest, and I’ve tried some, but if our kiddos can’t scoop and pour, they aren’t near as in love with it.

I’m good with that, since scooping and pouring strengthen those hands and fingers!

I also pay attention to texture when assembling sensory bins. Our sensory seeking children especially love to feel all the textures that are available.

Then, they started counting my beloved Target dollar carrots!

And then, the tongs got involved.

And one little guy impressed me with how many carrots he could fit on one tong.

So there you have it! A fun spring gardening sensory bin for preschoolers that involved one of my favorite new books and those cute carrots from Target. At the end of the week I will pack it all up and save for next spring! (Do you all do this, too? This is why we’ve created theme bins! )

Favorite Gardening Picture Books

• Hello World! Garden Time
• Up in the Garden and Down in the Dirt
• Plant the Tiny Seed
• Planting a Rainbow
• From Seed to Plant
• Lola Plants a Garden
• My Garden

Spring Activity Plans

I’m so excited to be one of the authors of these hands-on activities for toddlers and for preschoolers!

Easy to follow plans include activity modifications and adaptations to meet the needs of all learners.

For more information, click on the graphics below: