Rainbow Sensory Bin

This taste-safe preschool rainbow sensory bin is so simple to set up and kept my son busy for well over an hour. This sensory activity is honestly perfect for all ages.

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I am beyond giddy that spring is here. This is our first year in real seasons, and I absolutely love it. After coming from Southern California, where it’s literally sunny and 75 all year round, and then Arizona, where it’s almost 90 right now in mid-March, the seasons make me happy.

I think my favorite thing about Spring here in North Carolina has been the daffodils blooming everywhere. Every year my mom would buy the cut bundles from Trader Joes’s and we would wait for them to bloom. Seeing them blooming in everyone’s yards and even in the forests has been a really special reminder of my mom.

My son absolutely loves rainbows so I was very excited to make him a fun rainbow-themed activity. I have been wanting to try out aquafaba for a while so I thought that would be a perfect time.

Why is messy play important for toddlers?

Messy play is extremely important to a child’s development. It develops different motor skills, encourages creativity, reduces stress, and so much more.

What is Aquafaba?

Aquafaba is an excellent taste-safe foam. It is made from the liquid of canned garbanzo beans. This was our first time making it, and it does have a little smell when you put it up to your nose, but it is nothing noticeable. I have made foam activities with shaving cream before, and I just couldn’t get over the fragrance. I will forever make aquafaba. Plus, after my son was done playing with the rainbow sensory bin, we made hummus together with the leftover garbanzo beans.

Is this a taste-safe sensory bin?

We love taste-safe sensory play in our house. Aquafaba is completely taste-safe and is often used as an egg replacement in dishes. It is the perfect edible sensory bin for toddlers.

How to make Rainbow Aquafaba

Ingredients

• 3 cans of garbanzo beans
• 1.5 tsp cream of tartar
• Food coloring
• Saint Patrick’s Day Theme Golden Coins

Directions

To make the rainbow aquafaba, drain the liquid from each can of garbanzo beans into a bowl. Divide the number of colors you want to make by the amount of liquid you have. I used about half a cup of liquid for each color and I got 2 colors out of each can.

Pour a half cup of liquid into a bowl. Add your desired color and 1/4 tsp of cream of tartar. Mix using a whisk attachment on either a stand mixer or a hand mixer. You will mix for a full 2-3 minutes until the foam creates peaks.

Looking for more Sensory Bin Ideas? Try these!

Find the Gold Coins in the Rainbow Sensory Bin

To set this activity up, I placed gold coins at the bottom of the bin. I layered the rainbow aquafaba on top. You could put any fun treasures for them to find underneath. I provided measuring cups and scoops. After mixing all of the colors together, my son had a lot of fun scooping it up. It is super thick, so it stays in the cup when you flip it over. I also ended up putting water in the other bin for him to wash the coins off when he found them.

How to Make a Sensory Bins Educational

I kept this activity strictly play-based, but there are tons of educational versions. There is so much learning in sensory bins. To make this a math activity, you can count the gold coins as they find them or use the pot of gold printable below to add the correct number of coins to each pot. Also, you can easily use these coins for adding and subtracting as well.

To make an alphabet activity, you can write letters on each coin. Your child can match them to the correct pot of gold in my free printable below. You can also use them to make basic words.

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