Acorn Sensory Bin

I love sensory bins for toddlers. I think they are a great way to keep little ones busy while also being beneficial for them for a number of different ways. Lately, I haven't made a sensory bin. I have so many ideas but they require me to go to the store and buy the things I need. While outside the other day I was inspired to collect acorns for the kids and decided later that the actions would make a great sensory activity for my 2yr old.

 

 What You Need

• Acorns
• soapy water
• tin foil
• baking sheet
• container for the acorns

 

How To Prep Acorns

 I grabbed a basket and started to collect the acorns from the ground. I made sure to also collect the tops of them since most of the acorns didn't have their tops anymore. My 6yr old joined me outside and helped to collect acorns.

After I had a good amount I headed inside to prep them. I preheated my oven to 200*F and filled up the sink with warm soapy water. I added the acorns into the water and gave them a little wash and rinsed them afterward. I then got out a baking sheet and lined it with tin foil before putting the acorns on it. After I had all the acorns on the baking sheet I spread them as much as I could making sure I only had 1 layer. I then placed the baking sheet into the oven for 3 hours. I did this in the evening and when they finished baking I turned the oven off and left the acorns in the oven overnight to cool.

Time To Play

I put the acorns in a big bowl and added in some leaves. I also gave my toddler some measuring cups she could use to play with. This kept her busy for about 2 hours. She had so much fun and my other kids would also stop and play with the acorns alongside her. Later on, I did hot glue the caps on to the acorns because I plan to use these for a craft. This is totally optional.

I hope you enjoyed this easy and very natural sensory activity. If you get the chance to make this I'd love to see pictures. You can tag
me on Instagram or Facebook @joyfulwifelife
Thanks for reading!