Allow children to chill with snow this winter by making these winter sensory bins. These activities will bring out your kid’s bone-chilling creativity indoors any time of the year!
Winter is probably the most-awaited season, especially for kids. The idea of making their versions of Olaf is enough to make my own kids giddy and ecstatic! Does your kid love winter, too?
If so, proceed to the winter sensory activities below!
13 Snow Sensory Bins
Quick reminder: Be sure to use a large enough bin or container to hold the different sensory items needed for each activity.
1. Color Learning Snow Sensory Bin
How about learning some colors of the rainbow using actual snow? In this video, Ashar and Zidan give kids a fun, hands-on color learning activity while playing with snow. This is probably one of the coolest (and coldest) snow sensory bin ideas for winter!
The video tutorial above will give your kids a more engaging experience in creating a learning snow sensory bin.
2. Instant Snow Winter Sensory Bin
Has winter come and gone already? Relive the experience of playing in the snow with this instant snow winter sensory bin idea. Your kids will surely love recreating a memento of one of their fondest memories last winter!
A little background music will help stir up feelings of nostalgia, which can help boost your kid’s creativity. Check out Dreami Education’s video above for more details!
3. Rice Winter Sensory Bin
Who would’ve thought that uncooked rice could be so fun and exciting?
With a mixture of raw rice and glittery art materials, voila – you’ve got snow! Your kids will definitely appreciate the experience of using raw rice as something other than a means to fill their belly.
This might prompt you to start allocating a portion of rice for art-related purposes from now on. But for the sake of art, why not?
4. Colored Rice and Pasta Winter Sensory Bin
If you want variety, it’s high time you use uncooked rice and pasta on a different level!
Forget about their bland colors and usual appearance because you can help kids give these two (uncooked rice and pasta) their much-awaited makeover. Check out Teaching Mama to see how to make this winter sensory bin.
Oh! And don’t forget to remind your kids to use their kid-friendly shovel for a much easier digging and mixing experience!
5. Cottony Winter Sensory Bin
Cotton balls remind me of snow. I used to pretend this was snow by scattering some in my room way back when I was a kid (mom really hated cleaning up after me).
Crystal also adds in various snow themed decorations to add even more winter goodness for your kids with this snowy sensory bin.
If you want your kids to make their own winter stuff for the bin, Crystal also provides tutorials on how they can make adorable penguins and snowmen out of corks. Isn’t that cool (see what I did there)?
Want a less messy cotton ball activity? You won’t find any scattered cotton balls with these cotton ball crafts!
6. Shaving Cream and Baking Soda Snow Sensory Bin
Have your shaving cream ever gone missing? Brace yourself! Your kids just might have used it to make some cool (I swear I’ll stop) fake snow.
Kids will need your shaving cream, baking soda, and of course, googly eyes, felt paper, and other creative materials to create an adorable snowman for this sensory bin activity. (You might need to buy more shaving cream after, though.)
7. Snow Dough Sensory Bin
Worried about your kids eating fake snow? Don’t fret as Powerful Mothering shares a safe to eat DIY snow craft made with cornstarch and vegetable oil.
Now, you’ll just have to stock up on the ingredients every time your kids want to celebrate winter during every other season!
8. DIY Kinetic Sand Winter Sensory Bin
Faux snow sounds fancy, but it consists of two ingredients that are immediately available: baking soda and conditioner.
To see how this all-year-round “snow” is made, simply follow Active Littles‘ guide.
9. Water Beads Snow Sensory Bin
Watch and be amazed as tiny granules expand into marble sized watery goodness. Water beads are some of the coolest things ever, and kids will enjoy the science behind their expansion.
Add in some arctic animals and instant snow and get ready for a very educational sensory play experience that doubles as a fun science activity!
10. Simple Icy Winter Sensory Bin
No need to step out of the house for this winter sensory bin! Happy Toddler Playtime has an icy winter sensory bin kids can do to beat that summer heat! Just head on over to your fridge to get everything you need.
11. Icy Arctic Sensory Bin
Forget about that old and boring ice cube tray and mix it up by using a muffin tin instead! Freeze water in the tray and let your kids play around uniquely shaped ice.
Another great idea is to use other types of molds, like this chocolate molding one.
12. Salt Snow Sensory Bin
What Can We Do With Paper and Glue uses Epsom Salt as their makeshift snow. Be sure to supervise your kids with this winter sensory bin as ingesting epsom salt is known to be unsafe!
Add in some cotton balls and other pretty party supplies for a sparkling winter activity! You can also write some winter related words on flash cards and add them in for additional learning activities.
13. Coconut Winter Sensory Writing Activity
Go nuts with coconuts (well, coconut flakes) with this two-in-one sensory and writing activity combo!
Let your kids practice their writing in a yummy way with some coconut flakes and your choice of writing tool, such as a paint brush.
8 Winter Sensory Ideas and Activities
14. Winter in a Bag
Create winter without the mess thanks to this thoughtful bag sensory idea by A Little Pinch of Perfect. Yummy marshmallows alongside some uncooked tapioca pearls and a ziplock bag make a fluffy texture.
The coolest part? Kids can eat the leftover marshmallows while they play – Yum!
15. Snowflake Sensory Bag
You might want to hide your hair gel after this! Kids can play around with a squishy and sparkly winter bag thanks to Crafts on Sea, so check their guide on what else to add to help kids relive their winter experience.
Take up the challenge with the intricate patterns of a snowflake with these snowflake drawings!
16. Arctic Sensory Bag
While coconuts would usually remind kids of summer, their color and texture make excellent makeshift snow!
The Chaos and Clutter also adds some cute mini animal figurines to make this barren winter land bag more err..lively.
17. Icy Sensory Bag
Don’t fret if your shaving cream goes missing; your kids aren’t shaving yet. They’re just using it to make this fluffy sensory bag by Views From a Stepstool.
Help them out by adding some ice from the fridge to make it fluffy and icy. Oh, and you might want to buy extra shaving cream after this for future crafts and shenanigans.
18. Snowy Sensory Bottle
If you want your little ones to sit still for a while, then Harris County Public Library will amaze them with this hypnotic snowy sensory bottle.
While the video states to use a VOSS water bottle, any cylindrical bottle, along with other typical craft things, will work to keep kids mesmerized for hours with the slow movement of its contents.
19. Snow Slime
Gooey, squishy, and, well, slimy, slimes are the ultimate sensory activity for kids in my opinion. From making it to playing with it, kids will definitely enjoy molding this snowy slime from No Time for Flash Cards.
The styrofoam beads they include add that extra snowy feel to it. Try refrigerating it for a bit to make it even more wintery!
20. Ice Globe Luminaries
Daylight is short in winter time; placing these globe luminaries by Mad In Crafts outside your home is a way to brighten the dark season.
21. Ice Skating Bears
Skating can be scary for first-timers. Slowly ease your little ones into the sport by making these skating bears shared by Days With Grey.
7 Snowman-Themed Winter Sensory Bins and Ideas
22. Insta-Snowman Sensory Bin
Do you want to build an insta-snowman? Then hop on over to your kitchen and grab some snowman shaped cookie cutters for this winter sensory bin activity.
Kids can relive building a snowman, just on a smaller scale, with Where Imagination Grows’ tutorial.
23. Shaving Cream Snowman Sensory Bin
Here lies a pile of sludge formerly known as Mr. Snowman. Kids always get excited playing with snowmen, but do they still enjoy them when they melt?
Let them show some love to a melted pile of goo with Preschool Inspirations’ snowman sensory activity.
Replace the paper triangle with a carrot, and you’ve got yourself a melted Olaf from Frozen!
24. Paper Pulp Sensory Snowman
Mini snowmen? In the middle of spring? Kids must be making this paper pulp snowmen by Housing a Forest. The recipe is easy to follow and provides a unique sensory experience for kids.
Speaking of spring, here are some actual spring crafts your little ones can do during any season.
25. Snowman in a Bag
Shaving cream: great for shaving, but even better for snow themed activities for kids!
They’ll be bringing around this snowman wherever they go thanks to Little Bins for Little Hands, so be sure to check out their tutorial to see what other things kids can add to this portable squishy sensory bag.
26. Snowman Sensory Bag
“Do you want to build a–
Go away, Anna!
Okay, bye…” (Last one. Promise.)
Raising Dragons shows an ingenious way kids can build a snowman inside a bag! Aside from being a stimulating sensory play, this also doubles as a way to enhance your child’s fine motor skills as they push and squeeze the buttons into place.
27. Snowman Sensory Bottle
Keep your kids busy with their very own snowman companion they can play with for hours while you kick your feet up and relax for a bit.
With Baker Ross’s mesmerizing snowman bottle, your kids will be amazed and calmed from watching tiny glittery objects move and swirl around.
This isn’t the only one of its kind; plenty more snowman crafts are waiting to be made!
28. Snowman Snow Globes
Do you have some bottles of Martinelli’s apple juice in your kitchen? If you do, then drink up as you’re gonna need them to make your very own snow globes.
Making a homemade snow globe gives the end product a unique and special feel and is very fun to do.
Fun Snow-Filled Winter Sensory Bins
Not winter yet? That’s not going to be a problem with these winter sensory bins kids can play with to keep their senses busy anytime of the year.
If your little ones can’t get enough of the cold, then why not try making some polar bear crafts and ice cream crafts, too?
