How to Make Sensory Bins for Speech Language Therapy

It’s funny how much an SLP’s caseload can change from one year to the next – even within the same district, or even the same building!  One of the challenges I have this year is that I have more younger students on my caseload than I have had in a long time.  My traditional therapy approach – sitting at the table and working on one or two activities for 20-30 minutes just isn’t very motivating for these students, so I knew I had to start changing things up in therapy!

After doing some research, I decided to try making a few sensory bins in different themes to help target a variety of goals.  These have been a huge hit with my students, so today, I want to share with you how to make some of your own!

• First, choose a theme.  (Tip: think about what therapy materials you already have.  Do you have several picture books about the jungle or winter?)  Here are some examples:
• Seasons (winter, spring, summer, fall)
• Holidays (Valentine’s day, Thanksgiving, etc.)
• General themes (farm, jungle, pets, ocean, zoo, garden, outer space, etc.)

• Then, you need to start with a container.  I found clear shoeboxes from the Container Store that have worked well for me, but you could use any type of container.  If you plan on storing it between sessions, I highly recommend using a container with a lid that fits well.  If you don’t need to store it, then you could use any sort of tray or box.  

• Next, you need a base for your container.  Depending on your theme, you might choose different materials – for example, for a winter themed bin, you probably want to choose something that is white to resemble snow.  (Also, consider the needs of your students here – do you have any students that might try to eat the items?  Do you have any students that may struggle with a heavier weight of container?)  There are a lot of different materials to consider, including:
• cotton balls
• pom pom balls
• beans
• rice 
• shredded paper 
• Easter grass
• plastic rocks or “crystals”
• small rocks

• Then, add items that match your theme.  For example:
• plastic animal figurines
• action figures (make sure to have both male and female if you would like to target pronouns)
• small stuffed animals
• party decorations (such sparkly snowflakes, googly eyes, or hearts)
• small erasers

• You can also add “tools” like a small scoop or shovel to add to the fun!

• Vocabulary
• Pronouns  (ex: talk about what the different figures are doing)
• Following directions  (ex: “Show me the lion, then show me the zebra.”)
• Basic concepts (ex: “Find the biggest snowflake!”)
• Prepositions (ex: “Put the dolphin next to the shell.”)
• Expanding utterances
• Verb tenses – present, past, and future

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