Sensory Bins - Are they Worth the Money?
Sensory bins are a rising trend for infants and toddlers. I have seen so many social media posts about sensory bins, how to do them, and what things to purchase in order to create a “magical” sensory experience. I am absolutely shocked by this.
Shocked that there are literal sensory bins you can purchase on Amazon and the cost of them! Shocked that people are asking for guides on how to create an “engaging” sensory bin. Definitely shocked by how many reels on Instagram I see of these meticulously planned sensory bins for, what seems like, each day of the week.
Okay, who seriously has the time and money to spend on these? Are real parents, who have real full-time jobs, actually creating these sensory bins for their child or children every week? I am not buying it. Not at all. Parents don’t have time to do that and don’t have the money to spend on these.
So, let’s dig into this because I think this is a really important topic and also an opportunity for all of us to save some money. I’m going to cover a couple of topics including (1) defining sensory development and its importance, (2) defining sensory play, (3) identifying average attention spans of infants and toddlers, (4) sharing average cost of pre-made sensory bins, and (5) providing cost-effective sensory alternatives.
Define Sensory Development & Its Importance:
When you think of sensory, you probably think of your 5 basic human senses: touch, sight, hearing, smell, and taste. But did you know there are actually 7 human senses? The two commonly overlooked senses include spatial awareness and balance. LiveScience has a really amazing description of the 7 human senses and how the brain connects all of them – I recommend you read it.
The senses are incredibly important for humans and the development of senses begins immediately. It is shared in multiple research articles that touch is believed to be the first sense developed. All your senses play off each other and some even compensate for others depending on the strength or reliance of the sense. A good example is those who are blind have their senses shift away from sight and toward the other 6 senses. So now that we are on the same page with the number of senses a human has, and if you read LiveScience, how the brain connects them together – we can talk about the importance of these in child and sensory development.
Developing your senses, to me, means getting familiar and maturing your 7 senses. I also believe it means that your experiences shape your brain, your physiology, and your emotions. Let me share with you what I mean.
Everyone’s brain is malleable – it’s the reason why you can learn something new and the reason why you don’t really remember how to do high school algebra. You can learn something new by creating neural pathways in your brain. You can also unlearn something, from lack of use, to free up mental space and capacity in your brain for other things. Sensory experiences shape the brain pathways and support humans in their development. We can capitalize on the brain development of infants and toddlers because this is one of the most rapid brain development periods a person experiences in their lifetime. Infants and toddlers’ brains form thousands of new neural pathways during interaction and play. I’m kind of jealous at how much brain power they have and wish I could siphon off some of that as an adult!
Physiology – which is the physical make up of your body – is also impacted by sensory exposure and development. Think about the physical feeling you get when you take your shoes off and put your bare feet in sand. It’s bumpy and uneven. You have to adapt how you walk in the sand because it is a different physical experience than walking on a sidewalk. Your feet, ankles, legs, and hips all move differently when walking in sand. Now think about taking a walk in nature instead of being at work – you probably have a lower blood pressure and less stress which directly impacts your overall health.
Emotions and sensory experiences go hand in hand. Go back to the touch experience of putting your feet in the sand, what did you feel when you thought of that? Did you feel relaxed, at peace, or excited? The physical sensory experience triggers an emotional experience which is equally valuable and quite remarkable!
Define Sensory Play:
So, what is sensory play? In summarizing all of the definitions I found, sensory play is any activity that engages our senses. Okay, that seems really simple, right? Do stuff to make your senses light up. I mean, I can do that especially when you add in some play because an infant, toddler, and child’s occupation is PLAY! Kids want to play, need to play, and develop through play.
So sensory play is doing activities to engage the senses of a child. This doesn’t really seem like a novel or brand new idea but it is definitely becoming a main focus area and trend for modern parents. I have seen dedicated Facebook pages and groups with parents asking for “cute, engaging sensory bin ideas for a 6-month-old girl who has a short attention span” and then in the comments, tons and tons of links to pre-made sensory bins on Amazon.
Okay, what?
If sensory play is an activity the senses of hearing, sight, touch, smell, taste, spatial awareness, and balance – why do I need to purchase something from Amazon or any retailer for that matter? Let’s debunk the “attention span” question first and then let’s look at some cost-effective alternatives for sensory play.
Identify Average Attention Spans of Infants and Toddlers:
Infants. Let’s just start with infants. Newborn babies in the age range of 0-3 months are literally awake long enough to eat, have a diaper change, and go back to sleep. So, how do you define the average attention span of an infant? (1) amount of time it takes to eat, (2) amount of time it takes to do a diaper change, (3) factor in some crying and fussiness because all babies cry, and (4) factor in parents trying to figure out how to be a parent. Where is the time to do sensory play or sensory bins? There isn’t…
There are opportunities to do sensory exposure as part of just being an infant. The touch of a parent, the smell of the parent or caretaker, the listening to lullabies and singing, the taste of breastmilk or formula, the taste of pacifiers and other things infants put in their mouth, the sound of a parent’s voice and laugh, the sound of the outdoors (like birds, dogs, and vehicles), the feeling of wind and sunshine, the feeling of water, soap, and loufas during bath time. I mean… those are all sensory and those are not anything “special,” but they are all special to your infant because they are all new to them.
What about infants who are older than 3 months who have longer wake windows are able to interact more? Check out these statistics on attention span, based on research from Brain Balance (confirmed by multiple other resources), to really put things into perspective:
2 years old: four to six minutes
4 years old: eight to 12 minutes
6 years old: 12 to 18 minutes
8 years old: 16 to 24 minutes
10 years old: 20 to 30 minutes
12 years old: 24 to 36 minutes
14 years old: 28 to 42 minutes
16 years old: 32 to 48 minutes
I could not find confirmed research on the average attention span for infants or babies under 2 years of age. But based on the confirmed research saying a 2-year-old has an average attention span of 4-6 minutes… I’m willing to bet my house that 6-month-olds, 1-year-olds, and 18-month-olds do not have a very long attention span. To the Facebook pages and groups asking for sensory bins that keep a 6-month-old’s attention span, it seems like you are going to spend more time and money on creating them than your child is going to be engaging with them.
Now for parents who have kids older than 2 (myself included) I have looked at pre-made sensory bins on Amazon and have gone to Hobby Lobby and the Dollar Store to look for items that would be fun for my son and I to play with. I’m not saying there isn’t ANY value in sensory play. What I’m saying is, for parents with littles 2 and under, you may want to re-consider the time commitment and payoff.
Let’s now get real on how much these pre-made sensory bins actually cost.
Average Cost of Pre-Made Sensory Bins:
I’m going to focus on Amazon as my example here because majority of consumers purchase products from Amazon. I know other retailers have pre-made sensory bins and to keep the example simple, I’m focusing on Amazon (as of 5/5/2024):
Amazon’s Choice Kidoozie Toddler Sensory Kids Table with Lid – Sensory Bin:
Cost: $19.99
My Review: It is a short table with two bins that have lids, and the height of the table is a pretty good size for toddlers. The table does not include sand or other sensory fillers. If you like kinetic sand, then you’ll pay an additional $9.99 to $13.99 for sand. Rounding this table and sensory experience out at $33.98 total.
Best Seller Kinetic Sand Construction Site Folding Sandbox with Toy Truck & 2lbs of Play Sand:
Cost: $24.99
My Review: Very small box that is aimed more toward boys than girls. Includes sand and toy truck though so you don’t have to purchase that elsewhere.
Montessori Best Seller Wooden Sensory Bin – 12 pieces, 1 wooden box, 11 sensory toys:
Cost: $33.95
My Review: Does not include sand or other sensory materials which you either purchase separately or use in the Montessori way, things in your home.
Sensory Bin Fillers - If you are also looking for sensory bin fillers, on Amazon these range anywhere between $5.99 to $33.99 for just the fillers.
Provide Cost-Effective Sensory Alternatives:
Instead of purchasing sensory bins or experiences for your child, let’s provide some free or budget neutral alternatives. Again, the goal of sensory development and play is to get familiar with and mature your 7 senses to shape your brain, your physiology, and your emotions. Although that sounds very complex, I believe it can and should be incredibly simple: (1) use what you already have in your house, (2) get outside, (3) include your child in house and yardwork, (4) consider second-hand toys and gear, and (5) use your local resources.
Use what you already have in your house – you have a TON of stuff in your house and all of those items are new to your child! Looking for boxes and bins with lids, then wash and repurpose containers such as applesauce jugs, pop bottles, and yogurt tubs and keep your Amazon boxes. Pull out your existing kitchen utensils such as measuring cups and spoons, spatulas, funnels, pots, cups, and whisks. Find your uncooked pasta, rice, and dried beans and mix them up into your bottles and scoop them with your measuring cups. Make an absolute MESS! Pour some dried beans in a bottle and shake it. Add water and dish soap to make foamy bubbles and rub the bubbles all over. All of that is simple sensory play with stuff you already have in your house, low to no cost, and low prep time.
Get outside – Any infant, toddler, child, tween, teen, and adult should be outside every, single day. We are all capable of being outside; that is what all the modern clothing and gear is for. The weather is an AMAZING sensory source at our disposal and getting kids used to some of the ups and downs of weather can build their positive mindset and resiliency. Getting outside in the elements like sunshine, wind, rain, and snow are all sensory. Go barefoot in the grass, pick grass, and lay in the grass (unless you are allergic, obviously). Find little dandelions or flowers to pick and smell. Literally dig up some dirt and take it home with you. Dirt is amazing! Pick pinecones, rocks, leaves, acorns, grass clippings, and sticks and bring those home with you too. Just sitting outside and listening to nature is an amazing sensory experience. Also, check out my previous blog on “Walking and Running” for additional benefits of being outside!
Include your child in house and yardwork – consider having your child listen to you or help you do the dishes. Listening to running water is a very calming experience. Participating in doing the dishes exposes your child to foamy soap, water play, and teaches life skills. Involve your child in baking, I mean who doesn’t love the smell of the kitchen as you bake? Also think about including your child in yardwork, even as an infant. Getting outside, incorporating physical movement, and even listening to the sounds of yardwork is highly engaging and even soothing. Gardening allows you to smell the dirt, to actually get dirty, and to have gratification from your effort. Raking leaves, moving mulch, shoveling snow, and even using the hose are excellent sensory experiences. This is stuff you are already doing! You can include your child in this work.
Consider second-hand toys and gear – If you are wanting to purchase some items for sensory experiences, then consider second-hand cost-effective options such as Garage sales, Goodwill, and Resale stores. I have found absolute GEMS at these places; I feel much better about spending my money in these arenas than paying full price.
Use your local resources – Do you have a library card? If not, wow – you are missing out. Get one, immediately! Many libraries actually have funding set aside to purchase toys and sensory-based activities that you can check out, for free, with your library card. Umm… yes, please. Also, local libraries typically offer monthly interactive STEM activities that are structured and provide unique learning opportunities for kids. I am obsessed with our library. Another free, local resource to consider is Home Depot. On the first Saturday of each month, Home Depot offers a free in-store kids workshop so long as you sign up in advance. Using tools, wood, metal, and paint is so much fun and is a great free, community offering.
Summary:
Sensory development and play is critical to development. It also does not have to be complex or costly. Your child’s attention span is short and your time as a parent is incredibly precious. My recommendation is to include your child in what you are already doing, because all of those activities, chores, conversations, and experiences are new to your child. There are many free or cost neutral options that you can explore to provide sensory experiences for yourself and for your family. Sensory experiences are not limited to just children – adults need them too.
