If you love sensory play, as much as we do, you’ll LOVE this list! From sand and pasta to cotton balls and feathers, you’ll see some old standby fillers, as well as some that you may not have thought of before. This list should inspire you to switch things up a bit and have a sens-ational (see what I did there?) time doing it!
This list of sensory bin fillers is enormous! It includes both non-food and food items, but I realize that not everyone is alright with using food as a plaything…after there’s a reason that the words “don’t play with your food” are a common utterance from parents. So if this is you, and you’d rather try out my other HUGE list of non-sensory food items, you can click here!
- Sand
- Water
- Ice
- Dirt
- Soapy Water
- Clay
- Cooked Pasta
- Uncooked Pasta
- Flour
- Oats
- Rice
- Barley
- Cut Straws
- Shaving Cream
- Pom-Pom Balls
- Cotton Balls
- Beads
- Pipe Cleaner Pieces
- Chickpeas
- Corn Kernels
- Playdough
- Slime
- Straw/Hay
- Packing Peanuts
- Feathers
- Epsom Salt
- Shredded Paper
- Pieces of Felt
- Grass (Fake or Real)
- Sticks
- Mulch
- Seeds
- Pinecones
- Flowers (Real or Fake)
- Flower Petals (Real or Fake)
- Birdseed
- Weeds
- Beans
- Leaves (Real or Fake)
- Cereal
- Water Beads
- Salt
- Glass Stones
- Kinetic Sand
- Actual Sand
- Aquarium Gravel
- Rocks
- Cocoa Powder
- Pudding
- Buttons
- Baking Soda
- Cornstarch + Water
- Tapioca Pearls
- Grated Soap
- Foam Pieces
- Blocks
- Cornmeal
- Fabric Scraps
- Snow
- Mud
- Yogurt
- Split Peas
- Tinsel
- Ribbon
- Seeds
- Coffe Grounds
- Lentils
- Coins (Real or Fake)
- Spices
- Vegetable Peelings
- Raffia
- Potato Flakes
- Whipped Cream
- Shredded Coconut
- Seashells
- Corks
- Fresh or Frozen Vegetables
- Fresh or Frozen Fruit
- Gelatin
- Candy
- Aloe Vera Gel
- Nuts
- Blocks
- Pizza Dough
- Lacing Items
- Hole Punches
- Small Blocks
- Marbles
- Tubes
- Caps and Tops
- Magnets
- Legos
- Styrofoam Balls
- Herbs
- Polyfill Pellets
- Balls
- Crepe Paper or Streamers
- Tissue Paper
- Wool
- Yarn or String
- Play Silks or Silk Scarves
- Cotton Batting
- Sewing Spools
- Jingle Bells
- Rubber Bands
- Loom Bands
- Lace
- Wood Chips
- Tree Bark
- Cut Up Sponges
- Bubble Wrap
- Flex Mesh Tube Ribbon
- Acrylic Vase Fillers
- Broken Crayons
- Silly String
- Gift Bows
- Foam Shapes, Letters, or Numbers
- Bingo Chips
- Plastic Alphabet Magnets
- Costume Jewelry
- Small Play Animals
- Water Balloons
- Makeup Sponges
- Sawdust
- Paper Clips
- Toothpaste
- Mini Erasers
- Moss
- Lotion
- Silly Putty
- Cut Up Pool Noodles
- Tin Foil Balls
- Cut Up Toilet Paper/Paper Towel Rolls
- Confetti
- Plastic Leis
- Puzzle Pieces
- Sequins
- Pot Scrubbers
- Hair Gel
- Glow in the Dark Stars or Other Shapes
- Plastic Ice Cubes
- Googly Eyes
- Floam
- Paint
- Plastic Eggs
- Mosaic Tiles
- Metal Springs
- Pieces of Elastic
- Wooden Rings
- Glow Sticks
- Brads
- Metal Washers
- Plastic Chain Links