17 Recipes: The Best DIY Sensory Bin Fillers

Sharing our favorite DIY Sensory Bin Fillers! Easy, budget-friendly fillers perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and kids of all ages!

Looking for an easy, engaging way to keep your little ones entertained (and maybe even sneak in a hot cup of coffee)? Sensory bins are the answer!

With just a simple container, a fun filler, and a few scoops or toys, you can create an activity that sparks creativity, supports sensory development, and keeps kids busy for ages.

The best part? You don’t need expensive, pre-made kits to make it happen. DIY sensory bin fillers are budget-friendly, easy to store, and totally customizable.

Whether you’re using classic fillers like rice and pasta or experimenting with kinetic sand and moon dough, there’s something for every child’s preference.

Let’s explore some of our favorite DIY sensory bin fillers!

The Best DIY Sensory Bin Fillers

Sharing our favorite DIY sensory bin fillers. Materials that are easy to find, budget-friendly, and incredibly engaging for kids.

Whether you’re looking for taste-safe options for toddlers, mess-free fillers for indoor play, or creative textures to spark exploration, we’ve got you covered.

Click the link in title or description for full blog post with step-by-step directions, along with helpful tips and tricks!

1. Colored Rice

One of the most popular sensory bin fillers, Colored Rice is vibrant, easy to make, and lasts for months. It’s perfect for scooping, pouring, and hiding small objects for extra fun!

2. Colored Pasta

Looking for a crunchy, colorful filler? Colored Pasta is an amazing option! It adds a satisfying texture and can be dyed in bright shades to match any theme. Plus, it’s easy to store and reuse!

3. Colored Chickpeas

If you love a filler that’s lightweight, vibrant, and makes a fun clinking sound, Colored Chickpeas are a must-try! They’re smooth to the touch and offer a fun alternative to rice and pasta.

4. Dried Beans

A classic choice for sensory bin fillers, Dried Beans provide a wonderful mix of textures, colors, and weights. They’re perfect for little hands to scoop, pour, and sort!

5. Chickpea Foam

Light, fluffy, and taste-safe, Chickpea Foam (made from the liquid in a can of chickpeas-aquafaba) is an amazing way to introduce sensory play to babies and toddlers. Kids will love squeezing and squishing this foamy delight!

Check out our themed Chickpea Foam Sensory Bins:

• St Patrick’s Day Chickpea Foam Sensory Bin
• Easter Chickpea Foam Sensory Bin
• Valentine’s Day Chickpea Foam Sensory Bin

6. Bubble Foam

Light, airy, and endlessly fun, Bubble Foam turns sensory play into a bubbly adventure! Kids will love swirling, scooping, and squishing this foamy, cloud-like filler.

Check out our themed Bubble Foam Sensory Bins:

• Halloween Witches Brew Bubble Foam

7. Kinetic Sand

Soft, moldable, and endlessly entertaining, Kinetic Sand is one of the best sensory bin fillers for hands-on creativity. This taste-safe version is perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids who love squishing, molding, and building without the worry of unsafe ingredients!

Check out our themed Kinetic Sand Sensory Bins:

• Ice Cream Sensory Bin
• Dinosaur Sensory Bin
• Mermaid Sensory Bin
• Space Sensory Bin
• Whimsical Christmas Penguin Sensory Bin
• Christmas Grinch Sensory Bin

8. Moon Dough

Soft, crumbly, and moldable, Moon Dough feels buttery soft and irresistible to touch! Made with just flour and oil, it’s taste-safe and easy to make. It’s perfect for creating small worlds, making shapes, or simply running fingers through its silky texture.

Check out our themed Moon Dough Sensory Bins:

• Valentine’s Day Moon Dough Sensory Bin
• St. Patrick’s Day Moon Dough Sensory Bin
• Easter Moon Dough Sensory Bin

9. Sensory Dirt

Perfect for little explorers, Sensory Dirt lets kids dig, scoop, and build without the mess of real dirt. Use it for farm, construction, or dinosaur-themed sensory bins!

10. Sensory Mud

Want the messy fun of mud without the real dirt? Sensory Mud is a fantastic alternative! You can make it three taste-safe ways—chia seed mud, oobleck mud, and edible playdough mud—each with a unique texture and sensory experience. Perfect for little ones who love digging, scooping, and squishing!

11. Jello

Squishy, jiggly, and oh-so-fun, Jello is a taste-safe sensory bin filler that kids will love exploring! Add toys, cookie cutters, scoopers, or jars for extra engagement and hands-on play.

Check out our themed Jello Sensory Bins:

• Halloween Jello Sensory Bin
• Christmas Grinch Jello Sensory Bin
• Valentines Day Jello Sensory Bin
• St Patricks Day Jello Sensory Bin

12. Jello Blocks

Squishy, wobbly, and taste-safe, Jello Blocks using gelatin bring a fun and colorful twist to sensory play. They’re perfect for little ones who love hands-on, messy fun!

13. Chia Seed Slime

When soaked, chia seeds turn into a squishy, slimy Chia Seed Sensory Slime that’s perfect for messy play. Whether you make taste-safe “mud” or just let kids explore the unique texture, it’s a fantastic sensory experience!

14. Colored Spaghetti

Stretchy, slippery, and so much fun to play with, Colored Spaghetti is a must-try for messy sensory play. It’s taste-safe and easy to dye in bright, playful colors!

15. Cloud Dough

Cloud Dough is a soft, stretchy, no-cook playdough made with cornstarch and conditioner. It’s smooth, stretchy, and perfect for squishing and molding, making it a favorite for sensory play!

16. Edible Playdough

Want a taste-safe option for little ones? Edible Playdough, made with frosting and powdered sugar, is soft, sweet, smells amazing, and perfect for squishing and molding. It’s the ultimate sensory play treat!

Check out our holiday themed edible playdough variations:

• St Patricks Day Edible Playdough
• Easter Edible Playdough
• Edible Snow Dough

17. Oobleck

A mind-blowing non-Newtonian substance, oobleck is both a solid and a liquid. It’s a must-try for kids who love squishy, drippy, and scientific sensory play!

Check out our themed oobleck variations:

• Pumpkin Oobleck
• Oobleck Sensory Mud

You’ll Love These Sensory Bin Fillers

The best sensory bins are about creativity, exploration, and engagement. With these DIY sensory bin fillers, you can turn everyday items into a hands-on experience your kids will love.

The best part? You can mix and match, swap them out, and tailor them to your child’s interests. Sensory play never gets old when you keep things fresh!

Have favorite sensory bin fillers that your kids can’t get enough of? Share it in the comments!