Looking for a fun sensory play idea? This Mermaid Sensory Bin for kids is a fun way to let little ones dive into imaginative play.
This fun hands-on learning activity is perfect for your little mermaid lover! And of course, it’s a great addition to a summer themed unit.
I love that this mermaid sensory bin allows kids to be creative and explore the magical world of mermaids through sensory materials.
There are so many great benefits of sensory play, but one of the biggest reasons our family loves sensory bins is that they engage my kids for long stretches of time.
I also find that when life gets busy, playing with sensory materials help my kids regulate and de-stress, which means less fits or meltdowns.
This Mermaid themed Sensory bin can be a great way to encourage young children to use their fine motor skills and imaginations.
Alright! Let’s dive into how to make this fun sensory play idea!
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Materials needed for Mermaid Sensory Bin
You will need the following items:
- Sensory Bin or Container, storage bin, or sensory table
- Blue colored rice (We used this Tutorial for Colored Rice.)
- Rocks
- Sea shells
- Toy Mermaids (We chose these cute sea mermaid figurines).
- Toy fish, turtle, dolphins, etc.
- Fake leaves (I cut some leaves off of fake flowers)
- Pretend gemstones or other sea treasures
- Glass pebbles
- Pom Poms – we used various sizes of blue and green pom poms (you can use different colors if you like)
- Kid tongs (Or you could use tweezers made for kids)
- Measuring scoops or wooden scoop
- Plastic Table cloth (for keeping the mess contained)
Safety Warning – Keep in mind that sensory bins contain small toys and loose parts that could be a choking hazard.
Make sure your sensory toys are age appropriate for your child. Also, adult supervision is advised for this hands-on play idea.
How to make a Mermaid Sensory Bin
First, fill your sensory box with your sensory bin filler of choice. We used blue colored rice, but you could opt for water or another filler. (You can learn how to dye rice here).
You might like to place bin on a plastic tablecloth for easy clean up.
Next, place your rocks, pom poms, seashells, fake leaves, gemstones, etc. in the bin.
You might like to create a design with the glass pebbles.
I love how this sensory bin uses a lot of materials that I already had around the house.
You’ll find that the longer you do sensory play, the more you can interchange the pieces within the bins. We use and reuse a lot of the same items for different sensory play ideas.
Last, you’ll add your mermaids and sea creatures. We used fish, dolphin, and sea turtle figurines that we already had.
Some other fun additions you might like to add for your underwater adventure: a treasure chest, blue or green pipe cleaners, a faux aquarium plant, or maybe a sandy beach.
And that’s it! Your magical mermaid lagoon sensory bin is ready for play time!
More Mermaid Activities
Looking for more fun Mermaid activities for kids?
You can find some free printable Mermaid Coloring Pages here. These are my girls’ most requested coloring sheets. There’s so many fun mermaid pictures to color!
If you want even more, there’s also a fun set of 10 Mermaid Coloring Sheets here in my Etsy shop.
And don’t miss this Mermaid Scavenger Hunt. It’s a super fun way to keep kids busy on a rainy day or it can be used as a birthday party game!
More Sensory Play Ideas
I’m a big fan of sensory play! Sensory play helps with language development, cognitive growth, and fine motor movement.
Plus, sensory bins provide hours of imaginative play and are great for encouraging independent play time as well!
Looking for more sensory development activities?
There’s a list of amazing Premade Sensory Bins here. You’ll find the perfect sensory kit to inspire creativity and pretend play.
If you have a unicorn loving kid, they are sure to be delighted by this Unicorn Sensory Bin. It’s full of color and items to spark imagination!
Kids of all ages will enjoy this 4th of July Sensory idea. They will love pretending to make a birthday cake for America’s birthday with this incredible sensory filler.
If you have a farm loving kid, be sure to try out this Farm Sensory Bin. Kids can feed the animals, drive the vehicles and more!
Don’t miss this Car Wash Sensory Bin. This one is perfect for little hands! And it couldn’t be easier! Young children will enjoy plenty of creative play with this super simple idea.
Want to save this Mermaid Sensory Bin for later? Pin the image below to your Sensory Activities board on Pinterest.
