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DIY Space Sensory Bin!
- Patria Lincoln Posted On Jul 16, 2019 | STEM
In my sensory bins, I always have a “play version” and a “skill version.” Of course I want the students to enjoy the bin with the freedom of open-ended play, but I also like to double dip and add an activity to the bin during work times. To make the bin an activity station, I did a color sorting task using the Rhyme & Sort Rocket’s from Learning Resources with some rainbow counting chips. During “play time” I just kept the bottle caps, meteors, stars, and the rockets in the bin so the kids could just focus on scooping, pouring, and imaginary play.
Materials for Sensory Bin:
- Dried black beans
- Aluminum foil (rolled into balls)
- Stars
- Recycled bottle caps (various sizes and colors)
- Scooping/pouring tools(measuring cups, funnels, recycled egg carton, muffin tin)
- Learning Resources Rhyme & Sort Rockets
- Rainbow counting chips
With this sorting activity, students are working on:
- fine motor skills
- color identification
- sorting by color
- one to one correspondence
- counting
After students sort the chips, they could empty out the rockets and count how many chips there were of each color. You could also extend the activity by creating a bar graph to compare the different amounts.
I love how easy it is to differentiate the skills using the rockets. The pack actually comes with rhyming pictures you could easily switch out to make the sorting task higher level for students working on phonemic awareness skills. You could also create your own cards to add different things for sorting, for example, numbers, beginning sounds, or even categories.
After students complete the sorting activity, you can give them lots of time to play with the materials. My own son loved to take the tops off the rockets to fill them up.
You can turn up the fun in your bin by adding it’s very own NASA Space Shuttle!
Materials needed for DIY NASA Space Shuttle:
- Toilet Paper Roll
- Red, orange, yellow, blue, and white sticky back foam sheets (you can substitute construction paper and glue)
- 3 blue dot stickers
Directions:
First, cut the following shapes out of your foam.
Wrap the white rectangular foam piece around to cover the toilet paper roll.
Add a red cone to the top using the red semicircle foam piece.
Attach the two blue triangles on the sides of the bottom.
Stick on your 3 dot stickers to the front and your red, orange, and yellow triangles to the bottom for the BLAST OFF!
Throw this rocket into your sensory bin and your students will have a blast playing!
Looking for more sensory bins?
Try a DIY Dinosaur Sensory Bin! Or you could cool off with our Frostonian Sensory Ice Tray! Finally, check out our Spring Themed Sensory Bin!Save it for later!
Celebrate Astronomy Day with Kids
Each year Astronomy Day is celebrated worldwide. The stars have fascinated humanity for literally centuries, and even to this day captures the imagination of kids of all ages. Celebrate this event with them this year and don't worry if you don't own any expensive telescopes. These DIY activities use real life discoveries to inspire your little astronomers!
Track the Phases of the Moon
Bone sticks from across Europe and Africa dating back as long ago as 35,000 BCE that tracked the moon’s phases. Use a simple number line with your kids to track the phases of the moon over the course of a month, from full moon and back again. Do it for several months and see what patterns they begin to observe.
Depict a Celestial Phenomenon
A celestial phenomenon is a astrological event that involves one or more objects. The earliest example depicted was discovered in Germany in 1999. The Nebra Sky Disc dates back to 2000 BC and it depicted a star cluster, phases of the moon and the rising sun.
Use a black paper plate, or even just black paper, and encourage your children to depict their own star formations. If they can’t stay up to observe them at night, project some indoors with this Shining Stars Projector.
Astronomy to Keep Time
The Chinese astronomers kept detailed observations beginning about 600 BC, for the primary purpose of timekeeping. Their records allowed them to predict eclipses, and include the first record of events such as supernovas and comets.
On the other side of the world, the Mayans developed their own astronomical tables for predicting the phases of the moon, eclipses, and the appearance of the other planets. They used these and the cycles of the Sun, the Moon, Venus, Jupiter, Saturn, Mars and constellations to establish the Mayan calendar.
All of the above astronomy was without a telescope, and you can still observe these astronomical events with your kids today. Check out this astronomy calendar and pick a full moon, eclipse, planetary event, or meteor shower to observe as a family.
Try this simple astronomy experiment to help kids as young as preschoolers understand what makes night.
Just because ancient astronomers did all of this without a telescope doesn't mean your little ones have to! All of the above activities can be done with the naked eye but if you feel like shooting for the stars check out Learning Resources Big View Telescope. How will you celebrate Astronomy Day?
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