Insect Sensory Bin

I’m so excited to share with you our newest sensory bin! I was making some macaroni and cheese for my boys the other day and I realized the pasta shapes would make such a fun sensory bin! Thankfully, I had another box so I was able to quickly put together an insect sensory bin for my children to play with.

Here’s what you need to make this insect sensory bin:

• Back to Nature Crazy Bugs Macaroni & Cheese Box
• dry black beans
• plastic tub
• large Ziploc plastic bags
• about 3 teaspoons of rubbing alcohol
• food coloring
• cookie sheet lined with wax paper or parchment paper

I picked up the Crazy Bugs Mac & Cheese from Target, but I’m sure you can find it at most grocery stores. I began by sorting the insects. There are caterpillars, beetles, and butterflies.

After they were sorted, I poured them in a Ziploc bag. I poured about 1 teaspoon of rubbing alcohol into the bag. I want enough so that it will coat the pasta, but not too much or it will be smelly and too watery.

Then I put in 2-3 drops of food coloring.

I shook the bag around and then let it sit for 2 minutes or so. After that, I poured it on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.

I let it sit in the sun for 10-15 minutes. Then they were dry and ready to play with!

I added them to a bin full of dry black beans. They look like insects in the dirt!

My 2.5 year old really loved this bin! Here are some things we did with the bin:

• dramatic play with the insects
• scooped with a large spoon
• poured them in a jar
• used a magnifying glass (more just for fun!)
• practiced counting (I would say “Find three butterflies” and he would search for them.)
• made patterns

This bin was a big hit and I’m so glad that box of mac & cheese inspired me to create a fun way to play! Hope you’ll try it out, too!