These edible sensory bin fillers are safe to taste, making them the perfect way to make a fun sensory bin activity for babies or toddlers. Learn how to build the perfect sensory bin for your baby or toddler!
We love making sensory bins in our house. They are so simple, and they hold my kids’ attention like nothing else!
What I love most about sensory bins is that they are easy to create. Something so simple can turn into hours of fun and you can see your child’s wheels turning the whole time!
My kids are close in age, so I’m always careful to create sensory bins that all three can participate in.
Trying to stay busy at home? Check out these fun activity bins as well as my free printables library to incorporate preschool learning at home.
Sensory play is amazing for helping your child learn through play, and it is also a crucial part of childhood development.
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Why is sensory play so important?
Whether you realize it or not, your child is seeking sensory input in just about everything they do!
When you go to the park, does your child want to dig in the dirt, smell flowers, or feel the wind in their hair? When you feed your child a meal, do they smell the food, taste it, inspect it, smush it, and make a huge mess?
You might think it’s just “kids being kids,” but they are actually seeking sensory input! Sensory play is huge for child development. It helps their little brains learn and grow!
Safe, edible sensory bins
My youngest daughters put everything in their mouths, so it’s been a struggle to create taste-safe sensory bins. I want them to be able to have free range to play without constantly needing to redirect.
Edible sensory play is perfect for that!
We’ve been creating baby safe sensory bins since my babies were old enough to participate. I know other parents are seeking safe sensory play for their babies, so I decided to create a master list of edible sensory bin fillers.
Taste-safe sensory bin fillers
Cooked Pasta
Get fancy with different shapes, or just make whatever you have on hand! Cut the pasta into bite-sized pieces for babies that are just learning to chew.
Older kids may prefer to use uncooked pasta. Give them a string or pipe cleaner to thread the pasta onto for great fine motor practice.
Gelatin
Use blue Jell-o with sea creatures to make a fun ocean scene, or trap some of your child’s favorite figurines in gelatin! Give them different utensils to dig with for a “character rescue”. Be careful – some Jell-O colors stain clothing.
Cooked spaghetti
I’ve seen moms get really fancy by dying the pasta water and making fun colored spaghetti! Let them smush it, string it, and swirl it with their hands for a fun tactile activity.
Oatmeal
Raw oatmeal is a favorite filler in our house. Bury toys, scoop it, dump it, and have a ball! I prefer to play with this on carpet for an easy vacuum cleanup. There are a ton of different ways to play with oatmeal, but this Apple Pie Sensory Bin is a super-fun edible sensory bin!
Cooked and cooled oatmeal can also be a fun sensory activity! It’s one of those bins that “feels” naughty, so it’s ultra engaging! Pretend that it’s quicksand, and bury some of your child’s favorite figurines for captivating taste safe sensory play.
Chia seed pudding
Chia seeds make pudding when they sit in water or milk for a while. Let them play in the chia seed slime, and give them different ways to scoop, swirl and dump the mixture!
Jelly bean slime
Mix jelly beans with a little water and place in the microwave. Heat in 15 second increments to make a sticky, gooey slime that your kids will love to play in (and taste!)
Cooked rice
Raw rice can carry bacteria, so if it’s going to end up in your child’s mouth, try cooking and cooling the rice first. Smush it into molds and make little rice “sand castles!”
Whipped cream
Add a few drops of food coloring and practice mixing colors! Give your child a paint brush and let them go crazy.
Cool whip
Cool whip is a little more firm than whipped cream. You can place both in your sensory bin and let your child compare the differences!
Aquafaba
This is going to sound crazy, but aquafaba is made by whipping the liquid from a can of garbanzo beans! It creates a fluffy white foam that is taste-safe and loads of fun.
Pudding
Just like whipped cream, a few drops of food coloring makes pudding a fun, taste safe paint. Using soft materials like pudding might be easier to do in the bath tub.
Water or ice chips
Yes, it can really be that easy! Make sure your ice chips are small enough that your child won’t choke if they try one. Throwing ice cubes in a blender is a good way to start. You can also make a simple DIY Pouring Station so your child can explore other concepts as well.
Yogurt
Yogurt is great for finger painting, or painting with a brush! Add a few drops of food coloring to learn about mixing colors.
Sprinkles
Scoop them, dump them, go crazy! Sprinkles are cheerful and fun, and a great way to practice colors, too.
Beans
Cooked beans are safe to eat. Rinse and pat them dry before play!
Cereal
Don’t dump your stale cereal! Throw them in a sensory bin and let your child play (or make edible sand, as described below.) Rice cereal makes a great sensory bin filler. I often blend stale cereal to make dirt for a Dinosaur Sensory Bin.
Edible sand
Cereal, graham crackers, and crackers all can be blended in a stand blender to make sand! Give your child a small cup of water to experiment with what happens when water is added to sand. Try smushing the sand into molds for extra fun taste safe sensory play.
Sugar cubes
Stack them, sort them, crush them, smash them, dissolve them!
Mini marshmallows
With so many varieties of marshmallows to choose from, you can really change up your way to play! Melt them over low heat on the stovetop with a little butter to make a sticky, gooey slime when cooled.
Cloud dough
2 parts of cornstarch mixed with one part of lotion or conditioner is all you need to make fluffy cloud dough! Add a few drops of food coloring to make different colors. Use a rolling pin, cookie cutters and plastic knives for a ton of fun! This filler isn’t totally edible, but a taste or two won’t hurt.
Edible paint
Use yogurt and Kool-aid flavoring packets (or food coloring works, too!) to make a fun, edible paint!My friend Linda at All About Baby Blog has a great post about edible paint!
Taste-safe dough
There are endless combinations that work, but I think that peanut butter and powdered sugar would be the most delicious! Slowly add the powdered sugar to get the dough consistency you desire.
Tapioca pearls
Tapioca pearls are such a fun texture and can be so much fun for your little ones!
White sugar
Scoop it, dump it, or add a little food dye! For preschool learning, sugar is a fun thing to trace letters, shapes and numbers into. The possibilties are endless!
Brown sugar
Brown sugar is great for molding and building “sand” castles.
Stale cookies or crackers
Just like cereal, throwing stale cookies or crackers in a blender or food processor makes edible sand. This is the perfect edible sensory bin filler!
Oobleck
Is it a solid? Or a liquid? Oobleck is the ultimate STEM sensory bin experience!
Mix 1 part water with 2 parts cornstarch and a few drops of food coloring. Endless (messy) entertainment.
Edible cookie dough
My kind of sensory bin! Many pre-packaged cookie doughs are now made to be eaten raw. How much fun would it be to eat and play?
What are your favorite sensory bins?
Since sensory bins can make a big mess, we like to play outside when possible. In the cooler months, we do sensory play in the high chair or pick dry ingredients (think dry oatmeal and cereal) on the carpet for easy vacuuming afterwards.
Using a small plastic pool like this one is also a great way to make cleanup easier!
What do you think of sensory bins? Are they as big of a hit in your house?
