African Animals Safari Sensory Bin for Kids (2024)

Explore the fascinating world of African Safari animals through the sensory bin for kids’ small-world play tray, featuring Savanna inhabitants with a filler made from lentils and grains as a perfect hands-on tactile sensorial learning experience for homeschooling preschoolers and kindergartners.

Embark on an exciting sensory bin for kids’ journey as we delve into the captivating realm of African Safari animals. The adventure unfolds within a crafted sensory bin for kids, designed to ignite their imagination and sensory exploration while promoting hand-eye coordination and motor control and enriching their vocabulary. This small-world play tray introduces young learners to the diverse inhabitants of the African Savanna with a sensory filler made from grains such as lentils and beans.

As preschoolers and kindergartners immerse themselves in this hands-on encounter, they not only engage their fine motor skills but also learn about these remarkable creatures and their unique habitats. This enriching educational experience brings the wonders of the African Safari right to your home or classroom, making learning a truly sensory and engaging adventure. Plus, you can easily set this up with items found in your cupboard, making it a convenient and accessible learning activity for young explorers.

African Animals Safari Sensory Bin for Kids

Creating an engaging sensory experience for your child is fun and a fantastic way to tap into their natural curiosity and attention span. Sensory bins become a valuable tool as children’s attention spans typically align with their age, lasting around 2-3 minutes per year. Take, for instance, the African Animals Sensory Bin—an exciting adventure waiting to unfold in just a quick 2-minute setup using everyday items readily available in your cupboard!

Materials and Supplies

Below is the list of materials and supplies you will need to create this African Animals Safari Sensory Bin for Kids:

1. A trayto contain the sensory filler (white round tray).
2. Sensory filler:grains like lentils, beans, rice, chickpeas, or any other items with different textures and colors.
3. Actors:African Animals Figurines(also a set of 7 African animalshere).
4. Optional:scoopersfor pouring (larger one here), wooden slices, pebbles,glass gems, etc.

How to Set up African Animals Safari Sensory Bin for Kids

Remember to set an immersive adventure tailored to your child’s interests – their theme!

Prepare the Tray:Choose safe sensory fillers like water, grains, natural materials, sand, grass, etc. Fillers foster tactile stimulation and more!So, decide on the grain/filler and pour it into the tray.For example, add lentils, black-eyed peas, blue glass marbles to represent water, etc.

Set a goal: Is it tactile stimulation, counting, language, or maybe exploring animal habitats in this mini savanna?

Add African Animals: place African animal figurines into a tray according to their habitat, or let your child explore and place them wherever they’d like.

Engage in Sensory Exploration:Encourage your child to explore the sensory tray. Let them touch, feel, and play with the different textures and animals. As they play, encourage descriptive language. Ask questions like, “How does it feel? Is it rough or smooth?” This helps them articulate their sensory experiences.

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African Animals Safari Sensory Bin for Kids

Use this activity as an opportunity to talk about the animals featured in the tray.African animals offer a wealth of fascination and wonder for kids. Their unique characteristics, behaviors, and vibrant appearances make learning about them a delightful experience.

Learning About African Animals

Giraffe

Giraffes are native to the African continent and not found in the wild outside of Africa. They inhabit various ecosystems, from savannas and grasslands to woodlands and deserts.Thesetowering animals have long necks to reach leaves high up in trees.They can devour up to 75 pounds of leaves and twigs each day.They also have a unique blue-black tongue, which helps them avoid sunburn whilemunching on leaves high in the trees.

Giraffes:Giraffes are the world’stallestland animals. Their long necks can reach up to 6 feet in length! Just like our fingerprints, no two giraffes have the same spot pattern. It’s like they wear unique pajamas all their lives.

Elephants:Elephants are not only thelargestland animals but also the smartest. They can recognize themselves in mirrors, show empathy, and even paint pictures with their trunks!

Cheetahs:Cheetahs are thefastestrunners on land, reaching speeds of up to 60-70 miles per hour. They can go from 0 to 60 mph in just a few seconds, making them lightning-fast!

Hippopotamuses:Despite their big bodies, hippos are excellentswimmersand can hold their breath underwater for up to five minutes. They even have special ears and nostrils that close to keep water out.

Zebras:Zebras’ stripes aren’t just for looks; they help confuse predators. When a group of zebras stands close together, their stripes create an optical illusion, making it challenging for predators to single out one zebra.

Lions:Lions are known for their roars, which can be heard up to five miles away. They’re also quitelazyand spend most of their day resting, conserving energy for hunting.

Chimpanzees:Chimpanzees are skilled tool users. They use sticks to fish for termites or ants and even use leaves as napkins.

Gorillas:Gorillas communicate using a variety of sounds, including hoots, grunts, and even chest-beating. Silverback gorillas are the leaders of their groups and make important decisions.

Sensory Play

The beauty of this sensory exploration lies in its adaptability to your child’s unique interests and preferences. Whether they have a fascination with animals, plants, or any other theme, you can tailor the sensory bin to align perfectly with their chosen adventure.

To ensure safety and enrich the sensory experience, opt for fillers such as water, grains, natural materials, sand, or grass. These fillers not only stimulate tactile senses but also provide a sensory-rich environment for learning. You can set specific goals for the activity, whether it’s fostering tactile stimulation, practicing counting, exploring language, or diving into the intricacies of animal habitats in a mini savanna.

One crucial reminder: while small-world play with sensory bins is a fantastic bonding experience, maintaining supervision is equally important to ensure a safe and enjoyable exploration. The goal here is to engage with your child, making these sensory adventures memorable and educational moments you cherish.

Adult Supervision is Required

And remember, keep it simple and always supervise – small-world play is about engaging with your child, not replacing you!

Age: 3 years + Small Items are Choking Hazard!

Does your little one like sensory bins? Have you ever set up an African Animals Safari Sensory Bin? Leave a comment!

For More Sensory Play Ideas

See here Panda Small World Lentils Play Tray Kids Sensory Tub.

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