A little bit of science, a little bit of Halloween. This Magnetic Halloween Sensory bin is the perfect way to balance learning, play, and the Fall season.
I am truly inspired as soon as it hits the Fall season. I am not sure if it is because the weather is finally not scorching hot in Las Vegas and we are able to get outside more or if it is the beginning of all things holiday themed.
Check out more Fall fun on these posts:
“Awesome Autumn Sensory Bin Ideas.”
“Fun and Frugal Fall Activities for Toddlers.”
When I was a teacher I never considered myself a super themed teacher (you know the ones that completely deck out their classroom and themselves with holiday themed EVERYTHING). As a stay at home mom, I find myself leaning into the holiday themes much more.
I think this is because it is my own house and my own rules. I don’t have to please everyone and worry about offending anyone else’s views or lifestyle.
So, for us, we love Halloween, Thanksgiving, and Christmas. I also love to expose our children to other cultures and traditions, but our themes tend to line up with the ones we celebrate at home.
If you are with me, keep reading to find out all about this festive magnetic sensory bin for Halloween.
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How to set up the Magnetic Halloween sensory bin
The benefit of this Halloween sensory bin is that it is super easy to set up and really no clean up at all.
Here are the materials you will need
- Magnetic wand
- Magnetic discs
- Pumpkin Bells
- Pumpkin table scatter
- Pom poms
- Mini pumpkin basket
I already had the magnetic wand and disc set, so I simply pulled out the fall colored discs to add to the bin. The pumpkin bells were a new material and I absolutely love them. Aren’t they so adorable?!
The pumpkin table scatter was added so that there would be a mix of magnetic and non-magnetic materials. The pom poms were added for texture difference.
All these materials were intentional to maximize the learning through play.
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How to encourage learning through play
By intentionally choosing the materials for this magnetic Halloween sensory bin, you have moved beyond choosing materials simply because they were cute. Nothing wrong with choosing cute items (cough cough pumpkin bells), but thinking about how your child will use the materials provides more opportunities to encourage learning.
Encouraging problem solving
I intentionally chose pumpkin bells and pumpkin table scatter so there could be problem solving, critical thinking, and trial and error when testing out the magnetic and non-magnetic pieces.
Encouraging language
Using gold coins for a simple drawing provocation allows toddlers to have a target for their drawing. You can also begin talking about circles.
I added the shamrocks for extra St. Patrick’s day flair, but you can skip them if you want. We also used some Crayola metallic crayons and that added a little sparkle to the drawing.
Encouraging early math
Adding multiples of each of the pieces allowed for counting and sorting opportunities. Now I could ask how many pumpkin bells the magnet wand collected or how many Pom Poms she found, etc.
Extending learning through interactions
If you simply setup this magnetic Halloween sensory bin and let your child explore freely, they would learn something, yes. But if you set it up and then asked open-ended questions, you have much more opportunity for learning.
Here are some questions you could ask to extend the learning:
- What did you find that was magnetic?
- How do you know?
- What makes it magnetic?
- How many pieces can stick to the wand at one time?
- How do the pumpkin bells feel?
- What about the Pom Poms?
- Why don’t the Pom Poms stick to the magnet wand?
So, there you go. What seems so simple (and really is to set up) can be packed with learning opportunities.
How We Played
Toddler Play
Ruby had a great time making “Pumpkin lollipops.” She noticed the colors of the pumpkins and the pom poms. She also noticed that the pom poms didn’t stick.
She worked her fine motor skills as she plucked the magnetic discs and the pumpkin bells off of the magnetic wand.
Baby Play
Baby brother Miles is always curious about what his big sister is doing. I wanted him to explore this magnetic Halloween sensory bin, but there were too many small pieces to freely explore.
I came up with the idea to put the pieces into a clear bottle and add the magnets on the outside.
He loved to shake the bottle around.
Even Ruby enjoyed this variation as well.
If you are looking for more Fall themed sensory bins check out
“Awesome Autumn Sensory Bin Ideas.”
And more Fall fun on “Fun and Frugal Fall Activities for Toddlers.”
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