Taste Safe Farm Sensory Bin for Toddlers

This farm sensory bin or tray is the perfect activity for toddlers and preschoolers. It is a great sensory activity that includes edible options for fun, tasty, farm play. Perfect to cool off with during a hot day (before a dip in the pool to clean off) or for a rainy day activity inside.

To make this farm sensory bin you will need pudding (chocolate or vanilla dyed brown), oats, split peas, blue jello, and farm toys or figures. You will also need a truck of choice. You can use a blue truck, or any form of tractor toys to go along with the farm theme.

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We paired this activity with the book “Little Blue Truck’s Springtime.” We included a blue truck in our sensory play. This connection helps with literacy skills as well as pretend play and reenactment if desired.

There are many other farm-themed books that can go along with this activity including “Hogwash,” Old Macdonald Had a Farm,” and more.  This activity can also be done on its own without a literacy connection as well. Another great farm themed activity includes these farm animal crafts for kids.

While this activity can get a bit sticky it is super fun and engaging for little ones. They love the sensory feelings of the different items and the fun farm connection. For some other sensory tray/sensory bin ideas for toddlers be sure to check out my spring sensory trays as well.

Read on for directions on how to set up this fun farm sensory play bin for toddlers and preschoolers.

Farm Sensory Bin Set-Up Tips

For this sensory tray, you will need to prep the blue jello ahead of time by following the directions on the box. Make sure that the jello is completely ready before you put it in the tray. The blue jello will act as the water for the pond at our farm.

You will also need to prepare the pudding ahead of time for the tray. You can use either chocolate pudding or vanilla pudding for this activity. We prefer vanilla pudding in our house so we made the vanilla instant pudding and used brown food dye to color it for the muddy part of our farm.

Once the jello and pudding are prepped and ready you will slowly spoon the desired amount into two separate corners of your farm bin. Leave space in between for a walking path and grass.

Add a walking path going through your tray made out of oats. Add split peas in the remaining empty spots to make the grass.

Add animals of choice to each section. We used pigs, cows, and ducks. Other options would be horses, cats, dogs, sheep, and more. We finished it off with a blue truck to reenact “Little Blue Truck’s Springtime” and a tree for decorative and pretend purposes.

Begin by reading a story of choice to go along with the tray and then let your little ones go wild. I’d suggest since it is sticky to play outside but you are also able to do it inside if desired. Give your little ones scoops, tweezers, and more, and let them go crazy with it.

We chose to do our farm sensory tray on a sunny hot day and went in the water table after to rinse the sticky off. It was the perfect, sensory activity for my toddler!

Taste Safe Messy Farm Sensory Bin for Toddlers and Preschoolers

Materials

• Bin or tray
• Chocolate pudding OR Vanilla pudding with brown food coloring
• Blue jello
• Oats
• Dried Split Peas
• Farm Animal Figures (Cow, Duck, Pig, Horse, Etc…)
• Sensory Play Tools (Pinchers, Tongs, Scoops, etc…)

Activity:

1. Begin by prepping the jello as directed in the box. Put in the fridge until Jello is ready
2. Prep the pudding after finishing the jello. Follow the directions on the box. If using vanilla pudding add in the food dye to make brown. Put in fridge until jello is ready.
3. Spoon out the desired amount of jello in the top corner of your sensory tray.
4. Spoon out the desired amount of pudding on the opposite side of your sensory tray.
5. Line a “walking” path through your tray with oats.
6. Fill in any remaining spots with dried split peas.
7. Add pigs to the “dirt” pudding.
8. Add ducks to the “water” jello.
9. Add cows, sheep, trees, and any other details to the grass or desired areas.
10. For a literacy spin add letters to make the word “farm” to your tray.
11. Give your toddler or preschooler a truck/tractor and some sensory play tools like pinchers, tongs, scoops, and more, and let them explore.

For another fun kid’s farm craft be sure to also check out this paper plate cotton ball sheep craft for kids.