If you’re looking for fun and engaging ways to celebrate Earth Day with your little ones, sensory bins are always a win. They’re open-ended, easy to set up, and packed with learning. And when you give them a nature-loving twist? Even better.
Sensory play gives kids a chance to explore textures, practice fine motor skills, and engage their senses—all while you sneak in little lessons about our beautiful planet. Plus, it’s pretty amazing to see how a simple tub of dyed rice or dirt can hold their attention forever. (Okay, maybe not forever, but long enough for you to drink your coffee while it’s still warm.)
Why You’ll Love These Earth Day Sensory Bins
These Earth Day sensory bins are all about hands-on learning with a sprinkle of eco-awareness. Whether you’re introducing the concept of recycling, talking about oceans, or just celebrating nature in general, these bins make it tactile and fun. Here’s what makes them extra great:
- They’re simple to set up with materials you probably already have.
- They spark curiosity about the world, animals, and the environment.
- They’re perfect for a range of ages—toddlers can scoop and pour while preschoolers dig into pretend play.
- They invite open-ended play, which means kids get to be in charge of how the activity unfolds.
Whether you’re a seasoned sensory bin pro or brand new to the game, these Earth-themed bins are easy, adaptable, and totally fun.
Sensory Bins for Earth Day
1. Earth Day Sensory Bin
This simple Earth Day sensory bin is a great way to introduce toddlers and preschoolers to nature play and Earth Day themes. It’s easy to set up and fun to explore with scoops, tools, and small toys.
2. Fizzy Earth Day Sensory Bin
This fizzy sensory bin adds a fun science twist to your Earth Day play. Kids will love the bubbly reaction, and it’s a perfect opportunity to talk about Earth and its elements.
3. Plant the Trees Sensory Bin for Earth Day
Encourage pretend play and fine motor skills with this tree-planting Earth Day bin. It’s a fun way to start conversations about taking care of trees and the environment.
4. Earth Day Ocean Sort & Clean Up Sensory Bin
This sensory bin helps kids understand the importance of keeping our oceans clean. They’ll love sorting and rescuing animals from pretend ocean debris.
5. Earth Day Sensory Bag
This mess-free Earth Day sensory bag is great for toddlers who love squishy textures. It’s soothing, simple, and can be used again and again.
6. Earth Day DIY Play Dough Tray
Make Earth-inspired play dough time extra special with a DIY tray filled with themed add-ins. It’s open-ended and lets kids get creative while working on fine motor skills.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
