Educating Young Children Volume 1 – Spring 2025 | Page 43

build it. Together, they mold damp sand into a towering structure, decorating it with pebbles and mulch from the nearby sensory pathway. Liam pauses, holding a handful of dry sand, and lets it slip through his fingers for a final touch on the castle. As Mrs. Adams circulates from group to group, she checks in with Sofia and Liam, asking questions like“ What does the sand feel like, Sofia?”“ Like cool, chunky peanut butter!” Sofia replies, her hands buried in the bin.

Maya and Steven sift through fallen leaves, sorting them by color while separating them from the mulch. They excitedly call for Mrs. Adams as they compare the leaves that have fallen into the bins to different shapes, such as an oval, a line, and a heart.

In this vignette, the outdoor sensory bins provided students with multiple sensory inputs, inviting them to work on social, emotional, and content area skills. For example, Mrs. Adams intentionally paired Liam and Sofia since she knew that Liam would benefit from additional support with regulation while Sofia had shown leadership qualities, such as active listening and encouraging her peers. The learning didn’ t stop there: Mrs. Adams used this as a jumping-off point for math and literacy experiences back inside.

In our setting, we found that it was ideal to have multiple outdoor sensory bins. Our setup included four tables. Three of the tables had three bins each, and the fourth table was broken into two bins. This gave children opportunities to engage and express themselves as individuals, with a partner, or in a small group. The bins were filled with items that had different textures and colors, such as sand, mulch, and different-sized rocks and stones. They also included items that made different sounds so that children could experience sensory stimulation through touch, sight, and sound.