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Friends Art Lab / Blog / Bug Sensory Bin

Bug Sensory Bin

By Kristian Klebofski   Published: May 23, 2023    Updated: May 24, 2023

Nothing says spring and summer like a bug sensory bin. This activity can be done indoors or outdoors and will be enjoyed by kids big and small!

Dark green and lime green rice are mixed together and have many small, colorful, plastic bugs mixed in,
Table of Contents:
  1. Looking for the perfect spring and summer sensory activity? Look no further bug sensory bin
  2. No real insects were harmed in the making of this bug sensory bin
  3. Bug sensory bin materials
  4. Directions
  5. Sort by color
  6. Sort by type of insect
  7. Roll, count, and fill the muffin tin
  8. Scoop and pour
  9. Race against the clock
  10. Are sensory bins worth it?
  11. FAQ
  12. A bug sensory bun is un-bee-lievable fun

Looking for the perfect spring and summer sensory activity? Look no further: bug sensory bin

Some things just have to be done every year in preschool, and this is at the top of the list.

Kids love bugs just as much as they do sensory bins, so when you combine them, it’s off-the-charts fun.

Plus, it’s a quick and easy bug activity, so putting it together is a cinch.

Related: Our GIANT 10-foot bug coloring page is the perfect bug art project for your little entomologists. 

A clear plastic container sits in a pile of green rice. The plastic container is full of colorful plastic bugs and purple tongs are adding a red dragonfly into the bucket.

No real insects were harmed in the making of this bug sensory bin

My favorite part of the bug sensory bin is that you don’t have to touch actual bugs.

Instead, these pretend bug toys are perfect for imaginative play, so you don’t get the creepy crawlies.

And I’m going to teach you five ways to use them.

Here are some other “bug-cellent” insect activities to try:

  • Insect Ice Excavation – Friends Art Lab
  • Sparkly Spin Art Butterflies – Toddler Approved
  • Free Printable Bug Bingo Cards – The Best Ideas for Kids
small, plastic, colorful insect toys are scattered in green rice. Also in the rice is a yellow foam die, a small wooden scoop, a pair of purple tweezers, and a pamphlet from the set of plastic bugs that read "Learning resources: Backyard bug counters - 72 pieces, Ages 3+."

Bug sensory bin materials

  • Insect toys – I like this brand because they’re rainbow-colored and won’t get mistaken for real bugs when left around the home or classroom
  • Colored rice – Here’s the easiest dyed rice tutorial ever, or skip the rice and do this in sand, dirt, water, beans, plain rice, etc.

Some additional optional materials are needed for specific activities, which I’ll share in their sections.

However, before you proceed, just know that bug toys in any material are hours of fun as a standalone project. 😉

A hand holds a scoop of green rice and small colorful bug toys over the bug sensory bin.

Directions

There are endless ways to play with a bug sensory bin.

Just tossing the plastic bug toys into a bucket with water = hours of fun.

Or, tossing the plastic bug toys into a tray of sand = hours of fun.

Of course, tossing the bug toys in colorful dyed rice = hours of fun.

A bug sensory bin can be as simple as you want and still be a delight!

If you want to step up your bug sensory game, try these activities, too.

In the bug sensory bin are six white bowls each with the insect toys sorted by color in the bowls. The bowls sit in green rice with more plastic bugs scattered about.

Sort by color

Add small bowls and invite your child to sort the bugs by color.

This is a dynamite math activity where kids classify based on an attribute (in this instance, by color).

 An activity like this easily serves as both a sensory and math activity!

In the bug sensory bun are six white bowls each with the insect toys sorted by type of insect in the bowls. The bowls sit in green rice with more plastic bugs scattered about.

Sort by type of insect

“The caterpillars go here, the dragonflies go here, the beetles go here…”

Watching kids sort by insect is a level above sorting by color because they have to really examine the bugs and notice the characteristics of each.

Just like sorting by color, this is a magnificent math activity.

Challenge: invite your child to name the insects as they sort. 

A mini muffin tin sits on top of green rice and each cavity has some green rice in it. In some of the cavities are colorful plastic insects, with more in the green rice surrounding the tin. Above the tin is a yellow foam die showing four dots and a hand is placing a yellow caterpillar in one the cavities of the tin.

Roll, count, and fill the muffin tin

Provide your child with a muffin tin + a die for a fun addition activity. 

 First, invite your child to roll the die and name the number of dots shown. 

Next, invite them to add that same number of insects into the muffin tin.

Continue until all of the muffin tin spots are full.

Challenge: provide older children with two dice for them to add together.

Scattered about in green rice are two wooden scoops, two plastic scoops, one red measuring spoon, a small white metal pail, and several plastic insect toys.

Scoop and pour

Kids. Love. Scooping. And. Pouring.

It begins when they’re babies and never really stops (I can personally attest to this).

Raid your kitchen, home, or classroom to collect as many scoopable things as possible! Try to find the following:

  • Soup spoons
  • Serving spoons
  • Slotted spoons
  • Ladles
  • Measuring cups
  • Measuring spoons

You can build your collection by adding specialty spoons and scoops to your stash, but begin with materials you already have on hand to see what your child enjoys the most. 

A hand holds a small wooden scoop and pours green rice into a clear container with more green rice and plastic bug toys. The plastic container sits in a bucket of green rice and more colorful insect toys.

Race against the clock

Some things ring true across age groups, and after teaching preschool for a million years, you learn how much preschoolers love a good race.

An outdoor running race? They love.

An indoor cleaning-up race? They love.

A race against the clock where they hear how many seconds something took? THEY LOVE.

In your bug sensory bin, add a container of some sort (here I used the container the bugs come in) and invite your child to fill it to the top while you time them. When the bucket is full, share how long it took (ex: “That took 27 seconds!”) and get ready for them to ask to do it again and again and…

Comparing numbers, recognizing numerals, learning double-digit numbers? Yes, please!

Dark green and lime green rice are mixed together and have many small, colorful, plastic bugs mixed in,

Are sensory bins worth it?

They’re worth every penny, every ounce of energy, and every second of prep.

In how many other activities are kids learning math, science, tactile, fine motor, social, literacy, and creative skills in one without even realizing it?

Plus, if you make sensory materials like colored rice, seal them in an airtight container when done, and it will last for YEARS.

Worth it 654897x over.

A hand holds a scoop of green rice and small colorful bug toys over the bug sensory bin.

FAQ

What do you do with the rice when the bug sensory bin is over?

If you store it in an airtight container it will last for years and years!

How do you clean the plastic bugs?

If you add the bugs to something dirty and want to clean them, we run ours through the dishwasher in a basket for small items.

Do I have to do this in rice?

Not at all! Kids will love them in water, sand, dirt, beans, pompoms, white rice, and more.

A bug sensory bun is un-bee-lievable fun

Once you live the sensory bin life, you just can’t go back.

Have fun with this adorable activity!

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Kristian

Hi, I’m Kristian!

I love all things early childhood. Having earned a master's degree in education, I love sharing my passion and knowledge both as a classroom preschool teacher and college professor. Friends Art Lab is my heart and I'm excited to share with you! LEARN MORE

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