Cheap & Easy Ice Cream Sensory Bin (Great for Summer!)
Looking for a cool and creative way to keep your little ones entertained this summer? This easy and fun Ice Cream Sensory Bin is a perfect way to add some hands-on play and keep them happily engaged. With just a few simple supplies, you’ll have a fun summer DIY activity that’s sure to bring endless smiles.
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Whether you’re a parent, a teacher, or just someone who loves seeing kids explore and learn, this ice cream-themed sensory bin is a must-try. It’s the perfect blend of play and learning, letting toddlers and preschoolers scoop, pour, and discover while having a blast.
Looking for something more realistic? See our Homemade Cloud Dough Ice Cream Sensory Bin and both pair really well with our 38+ Free Ice Cream Shop Dramatic Play Printables.
🌟Don’t Leave Before You Check Out These Fun Ideas!🌟
📌What You’ll Need
Sensory bin – these come with lids, so they are great for storing supplies until the next play time.
Plastic ice cream cones and scoops – this ice cream set comes with both.
Pastel pom-poms – grab a pack that uses a variety of sizes. This pack also includes white as well.
Pony beads – to look like “sprinkles”
Cupcake liner
✨How to Set Up the Ice Cream Sensory Bin:
Start by placing a variety of pastel pom poms into the bottom of your sensory bin to create a soft, colorful base.
Next, add in the plastic ice cream cones and scoops.
Pour pony beads into a cupcake liner and place it inside the bin. For added fun, sprinkle a few beads throughout the bin to give it a playful, scattered look.
Let your child dig in and explore! They can pretend to scoop ice cream, sort by colors, or create their own sweet treats.
👇Ways to Play:
Scoop and Serve Ice Cream Cones: Kids can use the colorful scoops to fill the pretend ice cream cones with soft, fluffy pom-poms. They can mix and match colors and even pretend they’re running an ice cream shop!
Sort and Count: Encourage kids to separate the pom-poms by color or size. They can also count the beads or pretend they are colorful sprinkles to add to their ice cream.
Sensory Hide-and-Seek: Hide the colorful beads under the pom-poms and have kids use their fingers or scoops to find them. This is a fun way to develop fine motor skills.
Ice Cream Math: Turn playtime into learning time by asking your child to make an ice cream cone with a specific number of pom-poms. “Can you make a cone with five scoops?”
💡Helpful Tips
- Add tongs or tweezers to encourage fine motor skill development through grasping and transferring.
- Mix up the textures by adding cotton balls, felt balls, or crumpled tissue paper.
- Supervise younger kids with the small beads and poms—especially if they tend to mouth objects.
- Use this for learning moments: Prompt sorting by size, color, or “flavor,” or practice counting scoops and cones.
- Pack it up easily by using zipper bags to separate cones, beads, and pom poms after playtime—ready for next time in minutes!
🧠Sensory Learning Benefits
Fine Motor Skills: Scooping, pouring, and pinching the pom-poms and beads help kids develop their fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
Color Recognition: Sorting the pom-poms by color helps kids practice color recognition in a fun, hands-on way.
Counting and Math Skills: Using the sensory bin for counting games turns playtime into a simple, educational experience.
Imaginative Play: Pretend play with the ice cream shop setup sparks creativity and storytelling skills.
Sensory Exploration: The soft texture of the pom-poms and the smooth beads provide a wonderful sensory experience, perfect for young children exploring different textures.
What an easy, sweet, and oh-so-fun ice cream sensory bin that keeps little hands busy and imaginations swirling! Whether you’re a parent, teacher, or just someone who loves a good scoop of creative play, this activity is a hit. Clean-up’s a breeze, and the giggles are guaranteed.
