It’s finally March which means St. Patrick’s Day and all things rainbow and green are around the corner! If you’re like me and love holidays and your kids, then you’ll love this fun St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Sensory Bin idea! To be honest, it’s the only sensory bin I’ve created in the past few months that my five-year-old truly enjoys. I made this about a week ago and she still plays with it every day which makes me so happy!
She, like most toddlers, LOVES rainbows and we usually do rice sensory bins, so the idea of rainbow beans really appealed to her. She pretends to feed her dinosaurs the beans. She also hides her Frozen characters under the beans. If you like EASY DIY spring sensory bins, then you’ll love my Spring Easter Egg Sensory Bin and DIY Spring Easter Grass Sensory Bin!
I prefer to buy all holiday toys at the Dollar Tree because they’re cheap and unique. I bought three two-pound bags of Great Northern beans at Walmart for this activity. Tip: I recommend only buying two bags of white beans as I had way too many and couldn’t even squeeze them all into this sensory bin, which was a waste in my opinion (but I’ll use them for another activity, later). One bag wont’ be enough and three bags is too many.
Sensory play is so important for kids, especially if they can’t play outside. Playing outside is like a playing in a ginormous sensory bin, but the weather—especially in winter here in Salt Lake County—doesn’t always cooperate. In fact, most of the winter is not ideal for us to be playing outside here in northern Utah.
According to Chaos and the Clutter’s article, sensory play encourages problem solving, increases brain development, provides sensory input, and helps children better retain information that they have learned. Sensory activities also enhance language development as a kid can describe what they’re touching, tasting, hearing, seeing, smelling, or experiencing through their body sensations. Sensory play helps improve fine motor skills and aids kids in learning about the big world around them.
Items needed to make a St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Sensory Bin
White beans. Dry white beans are needed to make this sensory bin.
Freezer bags. Large gallon size zip top freezer bags like this are ideal.
Food coloring. My favorite food coloring is this Ann Baker set that is my go-to food coloring for EVERYTHING!
Small plastic pots. I found these small pots at Dollar Tree; Amazon sells these plastic pots that would be perfect.
Fake gold coins. We found fake gold coins here.
Festive green tie. A festive green tie or other St. Patrick’s Day-themed toy or item will work. Feel free to get as creative as you wish!
Mardi Gras necklaces. We found Mardi Gras necklaces at Dollar Tree but they are also sold here.
How to make the best St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Sensory Bin
STEP 1: To dye the beans different colors, place equal amounts of beans in large gallon-sized freezer bags. Add 15-20 drops of red food coloring to one bag. Repeat with orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. I had to make orange using red and yellow food coloring. I also used neon green which came out pretty light. Alternatively, you can use 15 drops of yellow and two drops of blue to get a darker green shade. Included in the neon food coloring was also purple.
STEP 2: After the food coloring has been added, flip the freezer bag upside down and side to side and try to get the food coloring to spread evenly over the beans. You may need to add more food coloring if the color you want to achieve hasn’t been attained. Once you are satisfied with the color, empty the bag out onto a foil-lined baking sheet and let it dry out for an hour or so. I had a really hard time getting the blue dye not to stain our fingers. Other than blue, the others dried just fine. When they’re all dry, add them to a sensory bin and let the kids play.
STEP 3: In a bin, I organized my beans by rainbow colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. On top of the beans, I placed small black plastic pots I found at my local dollar store. I also found fake gold coins, a festive green St. Patrick’s Day tie, and Mardi Gras necklaces at Dollar Tree. You can probably find similar items to use at Walmart or on Amazon. Amazon sells these fake gold coins, plastic black pots, festive green tie, and Mardi Gras necklaces for great prices.
STEP 4: If you make this craft, don’t forget to leave a rating and comment!
More spring crafts you’ll love!
Leprechaun Kid – Easy St. Patrick’s Day Craft
Rainbow Pot O’ Gold—Easy St. Patrick’s Day Kid’s Craft
Easy Toddler and Kid Easter Crafts
DIY Spring Easter Grass Sensory Bin
Easy Brown Bag Easter Bunny Craft
Final Thoughts
Finally, if you make this St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Sensory Bin, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this sensory bin a rating! I love to hear from everyone who makes this craft and always try my best to respond to all comments.
If you do make this sensory bin, don’t forget to tag #elisemccollister on Instagram! It makes me so happy to see your craft photos!
St. Patrick’s Day Rainbow Sensory Bin
Equipment
Materials
Instructions
- To dye the beans different colors, place equal amounts of beans in freezer bags. Add 15-20 drops of red food coloring to one bag. Repeat with orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. I had to make orange using red and yellow food coloring. I also used neon green which came out pretty light. Alternatively, you can use 15 drops of yellow and two drops of blue to get a darker green shade. Included in the neon food coloring was also purple.
- After the food coloring has been added, flip the freezer bag upside down and side to side and try to get the food coloring to spread evenly over the beans. You may need to add more food coloring if the color you want to achieve hasn’t been attained. Once you are satisfied with the color, empty the bag out onto a foil-lined baking sheet and let it dry out for an hour or so. I had a really hard time getting the blue dye not to stain our fingers. Other than blue, the others dried just fine. When they’re all dry, add them to a sensory bin and let the kids play.
- In a bin, organize the beans by rainbow colors: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple. On top of the beans, place small black plastic pots, fake gold coins, a festive green St. Patrick’s Day tie, and Mardi Gras necklaces at Dollar Tree, or other similar themed toys.
- If you make this craft, don't forget to leave a rating and comment!
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