Counting Bugs Water Sensory Bin

(This post contains affiliate links. Thank you for supporting us.) 

We have been doing a lot of counting around here lately. I'm constantly looking for new ways to make counting more exciting. Since we are focusing on bugs right now and K is digging any sort of water play, I thought I would put together a big bug themed water bin. I wanted it to be filled with different colors, textures, and materials to explore, as well as incorporate numbers. I dyed the water with Fizzy Tub Color Tablets. Then I added clear water beads and some mini blue water beads. The clear water bead addition was so cool because you couldn't see them at all. When you ran your hands through the water though, you got a fun surprise to feel all of the squishy water beads! I also added some large river rocks and some small river rocks. The last two items I put in were magnetic numbers and our Melissa & Doug Sunny Patch Bag of Bugs. There was definitely A LOT going on in this sensory bin, but I knew he would love it. Having a lot of different items and textures also opened up a lot of room for exploration!

K didn't know where to begin. He was really excited and started pointing out and naming the different objects inside.

I let K explore on his own before I started asking questions or talking about what was inside. He picked up and examined each rock.

Then he took out every bug in the bin and together we named them. This gave me the perfect segway into our counting activity. We took out all of the numbers and paired the with the different bugs. We worked for a bit on counting the bugs and associating the number we said with the magnetic numbers. Then I let him plop them back into the water as we counted.

I provided K with a pipe cleaner so that he could stir the water. Together we found that the pipe cleaner made great waves! We took turns making waves in the green water.

I also gave K a scoop. He had fun scooping and pouring the water. He liked pouring it on himself even more than back into the bin! 

He also had a great time trying to grab the slippery water beads. It was quite a fine motor workout trying to find them in the water. He really enjoyed this bin and got pretty soaked. Whether inside or out, water play is such a fun way to cool down on hot days! 

Are you following House of Burke? To keep updated on all of the fun, please follow us on Pinterest and Facebook!