Sponge Boats Sensory Bin

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INSIDE: Sponge boats sensory bin is fun and easy water sensory bin for kids. Take the activity outside in the summer and super size it or set it up indoors in a sensory bin! Lots of fun pretend play for all ages!

The Best Sensory Play Kits for Kids

Play is at the core of learning during the early years and it can take many forms. One of the most important of these is sensory play because it engages all of a child’s senses (taste, touch, smell, sight and hearing) and has a enoumous positive impact on brain development.

Our Sensory Play Kits are a fun and easy way to keep your child engaged while at the same time capitalizing on the benefits of sensory play to nurture their mind!

Shop our ready made sensory play kits here.

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How to Set Up Sponge Boats Sensory Bin

I can this activity a sensory bin but really I set it up inside a kiddie pool! It was nice outside and the kids wanted to play in water. I always find the kiddie pool keeps them entertained for a little bit but not for long so I decided to add a few extras this time.

First, we made sponge boats. They are really easy to make. All you need are sponges. I found the sponges that are the least dense worked best. You will also need foam sheets for the sail and a bamboo skewer.

Cut the foam sheets into a triangle for the sail and poke the bamboo skewer through the top and bottom parts of the sail. Then I let me kids finish off the rest by carefully poking the skewer into the sponge.

Adult supervision is required for this activity as the skewer can be sharp. You know you child best, if you don’t feel comfortable with them doing this, skip this step and do it yourself. You can also cut the sharp end off the skewer after you poke it through the sponge.

Fill a kiddie pool up with water. Add under the sea toys such as:

fish
sharks
sea shells
starfish
sea creatures
mermaids
toy people

How They Play

They loved this giant sensory play idea. The sponge boats were definitely a fun addition. They were strong enough that they could hold small toys, so they could pretend that the toys were sailing on the boats.

I am going to let you in on a little secret, I am not a huge fan of getting down and playing (that’s kinda why I do activities) but I do it anyways. For this activity, I pulled up a chair while they were playing and they both wanted me to choose a toy and play with it.

So I got in on the play as well. I always walk a balance when playing with them and try to let them take the lead. I let them take charge in the conversation. The sharks chased the scuba divers, who were searching for sunken treasure. The mermaids helped the divers as well as other sea creatures the sharks were trying to eat.

They had a blast and didn’t want to leave even when it started raining. So I ended up dumping the kiddie pool and moved the toys into a sensory bin and took to play out to our covered front porch. We could have play all afternoon!

Age Suitability

This activity is good for kids 3 years and up. My kids are 3, 3, and 6 year old.

Supplies

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