Life, as of Late

Sensory bins can be great for children for a plethora of reasons, but purchasing pre-made bins can come with a pretty hefty price tag. Luckily, I’ve found a solution for creating an inexpensive sensory bin filler using just 3 simple ingredients! the best part is that you
probably already have everything you need in your pantry! Store-bought kinetic sand can be expensive, but this recipe will not only be budget friendly, but be sure to entertain your kiddos all the same.

Like most kids, my 2 children love playing with their sensory table, which keeps them thoroughly entertained for at minimum, 45 minutes – 1 hour. We got ours from IKEA – the FLISAT Children’s table, with the TROFAST corresponding bins. it’s so versatile and perfect for various activities.

As a parent, I love creating sensory bins for my childrens because it allows for them to learn and explore in a stimulating way, that doesn’t include a screen. Sensory bins are known to enhance cognitive development, improve fine motor skills, and boost creativity and imagination in young children.

I found this DIY sand recipe through a creator on Tiktok, , and knew I had to try it. The recipe calls for the following ingredients:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 2 cups corn starch
• 1 cup coconut oil

If, like me, you don’t have any coconut oil on hand, you can use any other oil of your choice (I used vegetable oil). I also only had 1 cup of corn starch, so I tweaked the recipe as follows:

• 2 cups brown sugar
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1 cup vegetable oil

The lack of corn starch and substitution of coconut oil for vegetable oil didn’t negatively affect the DIY sand whatsoever. In fact, it created the perfect texture for play beach sand, similar to kinetic sand. It broke down easily, while also being able to
maintain its shape when packed into a cup to create a makeshift sand castle, for example. All in all, use what you’ve got on hand and alter the recipe if you need to. Your little ones won’t notice the difference.

As you can see, the recipe makes just enough for about one standard sensory bin. If you’d like to make enough filler for two bins, definitely double the recipe.

Let me know in the comments if you create your own sensory bins. if so, what have your been your children’s favorites?