29 Winter Sensory Bins for Toddlers & Preschoolers

Updated 2026. Winter sensory bins for toddlers and preschoolers.

When it’s too cold to head outdoors, sensory bins are a great way to keep kids engaged and having fun. I should know I wrote an entire book about sensory bins! You can find it on Amazon here!

These winter sensory bins bring the fun of the season indoors, with plenty of textures, colors, and materials for my kids to explore. They’re hands-on, creative, and perfect for keeping toddlers, preschoolers and even older kids ones entertained during those long winter days.

What’s I love most about sensory bins is how flexible they are. You can create anything from a snowy scene to a cozy hot cocoa setup, using materials you probably already have at home.

This list of winter sensory bins are all the fun ideas I created with my toddlers.

They are simple to set up, encourage creative play, and provide a great opportunity for kids to practice fine motor skills and sensory exploration.

How to Make Fake Snow

Making fake snow for sensory play is a great way to bring the magic of winter indoors without the mess or chill of real snow. Whether you’re looking for fluffy, crumbly, or moldable textures, there’s a recipe for everyone!

Click here for five super simple recipes, each made with just two ingredients you likely already have at home.

From baking soda and conditioner to shaving cream and cornstarch, these easy options are perfect for creating a snowy sensory experience your kids will love.

1. Fake Snow Recipe

• 1 Cup Shaving Cream
• 1 Cup Baking Soda

2. Fake Snow Recipe

• 1 Cup Hand lotion
• 1 Cup Baking Soda

3. Fake Snow Recipe

• 1 Cup Hair conditioner
• 1 Cup Baking soda

4. Fake Snow Recipe

• 1 Cup Tissue pieces
• 1 Cup Baking soda
• 1 Cup Water

5. Fake Snow Recipe

• 1 Cup of Aloe vera Gel 
• 1 Cup fo Baking Soda

Winter Sensory Bins for Toddlers

1. Fake Snow Sensory Bin

Create a winter wonderland with fake snow made from baking soda and conditioner, letting kids scoop, mold, and play. It’s perfect for imaginative play and exploring textures indoors.

2. Iceberg Sensory Bin

Float chunks of styrofoam in a bin of water to mimic icebergs, and let kids explore by scooping, melting, and rescuing small toys. It’s a great way to introduce simple science concepts what things sink and float. (for kids 3 years +)

3. Snow Trucks Sensory Bin

Combine rock salt with toy trucks for a construction-themed sensory experience. Kids can scoop, haul, and plow their way through a snowy scene.

4. Fizzy Penguin Sensory Bin

Place toy penguins in a baking soda “snow” and let kids add vinegar with droppers to create fizzing reactions. It’s a fun mix of science and sensory play.

5. Frozen Pom Poms

Pom poms are a super fun craft item that every toddler mom and dad should have in their home. They are soft and small and tailor made for toddler and preschooler play.

6. Snow Dough

Make a soft, moldable dough using cornstarch and lotion, perfect for building snowmen or creating snowy landscapes. It’s easy to make and keeps little hands busy.

7. Arctic Letters Sensory Bin

Arctic Letters Sensory Bin is a fun way to practice letters and letter sounds this winter. Create this hands-on learning Arctic landscape sensory bin using real or fake snow for your toddler or preschooler to learn and play with!

8. Snow Art

Provide a mix of real snow and food coloring for kids to create textured snow scenes on snow. It’s a creative activity that brings out their inner artist.

9. Winter Playdough Invitation

This winter play dough invitation to play is a fantastic indoor activity for toddlers and preschoolers. Let your little one create a wintry outdoor scene, make a snowman or decorate a mitten!

10. Snowman Sensory Bin

Provide fake snow or play dough along with accessories like buttons and twigs for kids to build their own snowmen. It’s creative and hands-on fun for little ones.

11. Bubble Foam Snow Sensory Bin

Whip up a batch of white bubble foam for a light, fluffy sensory experience. Add toys or tools for scooping and imaginative play.

12. Winter Ice Sensory Bin

Super easy to set up all you need are ice cubes, bowls, spoons and scoopers. Let kids play with the ice for a fun wintery sensory play idea. It’s a hands-on way to explore temperature and textures.

13. Winter Soup Sensory Bin

Combine water with pretend food, pinecones, and kitchen tools to create a “soup-making” activity. Kids can scoop, pour, and mix while exploring different textures.

14. Penguin and Pom Pom Sensory Bin

Fill a bin with white rice or cotton balls, penguin toys, and colorful pom poms. Kids can sort, scoop, and play while practicing fine motor skills.

15. Hot Chocolate Rice Sensory Bin

Use dyed brown rice to mimic hot chocolate and add marshmallows or small scoops for a cozy sensory activity. It’s great for pretend play and pouring fun.

16. Winter Rice Sensory Bin

Fill a bin with white and blue dyed rice, adding winter-themed items like snowflakes and icicles for sorting and scooping fun. It’s visually appealing and encourages open-ended play.

17. Snowball Rescue Sensory Bin

Hide small toys or objects in “snowballs” made from crumpled paper or soft dough, and let kids find and rescue them. It’s a fun way to practice fine motor skills.

18. Snow Dinosaurs

Bury toy dinosaurs in fake snow or flour and let kids dig them out. It’s a unique sensory bin idea for little paleontologists.

19. Snow Easter Egg Hunt

Hide plastic Easter eggs in fake snow or cotton balls and let kids search for them. It’s a winter twist on a classic activity that encourages problem-solving.

20. Snow Kitchen

Set up a sensory bin with fake snow and kitchen tools for kids to “cook” winter-themed recipes. It’s a fantastic way to combine imaginative play with sensory exploration.

21. Hot Chocolate Sensory Bin

Create this easy and fun Hot Chocolate Sensory Bin for a winter themed sensory bin for your kids for a wonderful indoor activity this winter! So fun and simple to create! 

22. Penguin Sensory Bottle Craft

Penguin Sensory Bottle is a super cute sensory craft for kids to create this winter. Let your little one create a penguin using a sensory bottle and enjoy the benefits of sensory play!

Winter Sensory Bins for Preschoolers

1. Snow Counting Sensory Bin

Fill a bin with real snow or fake snow and small items like pom poms, buttons or beads for kids to find and count. It’s an engaging way to combine sensory play with early math skills.

2. Hot Chocolate Counting Sensory Bag

Here is a fun and easy way to practice counting this winter! Count the marshmallows into the cups of hot chocolate. This makes a great math activity for preschoolers (and toddlers!) as well as a getting a lot of the benefits of sensory play!

3. Snowman Letter Hunt Sensory Bag

Snowman Letter Sensory Bag preschool activity is a fun and easy fine motor letter recognition for toddlers and preschoolers for Winter. Let your little one create a mini blizzard in bag to hunt for snowman and practice their letters!

4. Reindeer Farm Sensory Bin

Create an adorable Reindeer Farm sensory bin for your toddler or preschooler using taste-safe fake snow! It’s a wonderful winter holiday sensory activity!

5. Rainbow Instant Snow

Get ready to witness a whimsical transformation of super absorbent polymers into rainbow instant snow! This fascinating sensory activity will captivate the imagination of your child as they watch a white powder magically turn into a vibrant rainbow wonderland.

6. Hide the Penguins Sensory Bin

Hide small penguin toys in fake snow or rice and let kids search for them with scoops or tongs. It’s an engaging activity that combines sensory exploration with problem-solving.

7. Icy Letters: A Literacy Sensory Bin

In Icy Letters your little one will combine STEM learning with letter learning. There are so many ways to set this up and most of the time it will lead into self directed solo play, which the goal of every sensory bin I set up!