All About Me Family Sensory Bin

This rainbow pom-pom sensory bin is perfect for an “All About Me” and “Family” sensory bin. The bright, inviting colors will entice the children to visit the table and give them plenty of opportunities to talk about their families and themselves.

The start of the school year is a great time to get to know each other but use this family sensory bin any time of year to get the children talking and sharing. Playing together at the sensory table opens the door for lots of great conversations, observations, and connections.

Rounding Up Supplies

There are a few supplies for this colorful activity so to get started, place the following items in a sensory bin or table:

• pom-poms in colors of the rainbow (found at most craft stores and online)
• “All About Me Family Counters” or the “Feelings” counter set
• plastic houses
• a book to spark conversations about families like Todd Parr’s The Family Book

Check out the “Where’d You Get That?” page to see where to find things like the pictured sensory table. It is 48″x24″ and not too deep. With a thin layer of sensory material, there’s plenty of room for kids to play at the same time.

Family Sensory Bin Assembly

After gathering all of the items, place the rainbow-colored pom-poms in the sensory table and add the plastic houses. The plastic houses are from Learning Resources and have removable roofs which makes it fun for the students to hide the counters. Next, add the “All About Me Family Counters.” Each color includes a man, a woman, a girl, a boy, a baby, and a cat. Another option for counters or manipulatives is the “Feelings” set as it helps strengthen social-emotional learning. Throw in some index cards with the colors written on them and this center is ready to go!

Sparking the Interest at Storytime

If looking for ways to get the children excited about the sensory table, look no further than reading a book about families like Todd Parr’s The Family Book. He celebrates the different types of families and how they’re special in their own way. The bold bright colors are a perfect addition to the rainbow colors of the sensory table, too!

So Many Skills Covered at the Sensory Table!

The sensory table offers so many learning moments for young children. The opportunities for experimentation far outweigh the messes that may occur at this center, so consider all of the engaging skills to practice like:

• expanding language skills
• giving fine motor opportunities
• encouraging problem-solving
• forming nerve connections in the brain allowing the student to learn more complex tasks
• providing opportunities for exploring

This is an open-ended play center so let the children run their hands through the pom-poms as they calm their anxious or frustrated feelings all the while processing what is going on around them.