2 Awesome Taste Safe Summer Sensory Bins

These taste safe summer sensory bins are a great activity for infants, toddlers, preschoolers, and up to play and explore at home. They are super simple to throw together and are also a great snack for kids to eat while they play.

Sensory bins are one of our favorite activities. As a previous Kindergarten teacher, I strongly believe in play-based learning. They are endless activities that can be played with over and over and created in many different ways.

These water sensory bins use large bins, water, and a variety of fruits and vegetables. They can help introduce little ones to new foods they may not usually eat and encourage even the pickiest of eaters to try foods. The colors and items mixed together make for beautiful taste-safe sensory bins.

Strawberry Lemonade Sensory Bin

This fresh fruit sensory bin was a favorite one for my girls to play with. Of all of the sensory bins that we’ve done so far, this one kept them occupied the most. It is great for all ages and even infants will enjoy playing (and eating) with this taste safe summer sensory bin.

To create this sensory bin you will need a large metal or plastic bin, cups, straws, water droppers, pink or yellow food coloring, fresh strawberries, and fresh lemons.

Begin by filling the large bin/tub with cold water. Add 1-2 drops of pink or yellow food coloring until you reach the desired water color.

Cut up both the strawberries and lemons into circular slices and carefully drop them into the water in the bin.

Add cups, straws, and water droppers either right inside the sensory bin or outside of it and allow little ones to play. Scooping, dumping, pouring, squeezing, and eating/tasting the items can all be encouraged.

*For optional number practice you could have your little ones count out a certain number of strawberries and lemons in a cup with water and ask them to serve you a “cup of lemonade.”

Vegetable Soup Sensory Bin

This super simple fresh vegetables sensory bin is easy to throw together and a great taste safe way to play. It is a great bin to encourage healthy choices and even helps picky eaters explore new foods. 

For this sensory bin, you will need a metal or plastic bin, water, food coloring of choice, bowls, ladles, water droppers, and a variety of fresh vegetables. The vegetables that we used were carrots, zucchini, and broccoli (these were just the ones we had on hand). Other options include cucumbers, bell peppers, cauliflower, green beans, asparagus, and more. 

To begin, fill up your sensory bin with water. Add in a drop or two of food coloring of choice (I typically use blue or green when making this sensory bin). 

Chop up your vegetables in a way that you choose. If making the sensory bin for infants or younger toddlers be sure to cut the vegetables in a safe way. I like the cut the carrots into spears, broccoli into smaller pieces, and cucumbers/zucchini into circular pieces.

Add the chopped-up vegetables to the water. Add bowls, ladles, water droppers, and spoons, and allow little ones to play and explore. 

Things to encourage include counting vegetables, making soup, scooping and pouring, squeezing and dropping water, tasting vegetables, and more. 

These are both great taste safe sensory bins. They are super easy to throw together and chances are good you have the ingredients at home. They can be modified with any fruits or vegetables of choice and are a great way to explore more foods.

For other sensory play ideas, you can also check out this farm sensory bin and/or this fizzy sensory bin play. Sensory play is one of our favorite things to do and is so important for a child’s development and learning. What is your favorite sensory activity?

*If you’re looking for additional taste safe ideas for sensory play be sure to also check out this fun Chia seed sensory play idea as well as the ways to make sensory play dirt (a few of which are taste safe).

For another fun summer sensory idea be sure to check out this sidewalk chalk art activity for kids. It uses only sidewalk chalk and water and is super fun for kids of all ages.