Well....maybe just because I'm selling them.
Just kidding.......kind of.
The more I make these sensory boxes, the more I am convinced that sensory bins/boxes/trays may be one the most important tools in the early learning classroom.
Here are four reasons why these sensory boxes are amazing.
Whether you are a homeschooler, parent, grandparent, teacher or just someone who wants to gift a young person, these boxes are it. I could see homeschoolers of early learners using them as the perfect activity while:
Preparing for the next lesson,
Attending to another homeschooler in a one-on-one,
Practicing a specific skill (see #4),
As part of a center rotation.
I could see parents using them:
As an activity for their little while they need to do something else (prep dinner, get on a conference call, take a shower, brush teeth, attend to another sibling),
As a calm down activity,
As a special reward or treat,
As something to do at another's home (packed up, of course, in a high walled box (similar or larger than the one it comes in):
I could see grandparents using them as gifts or as a special treat to enjoy when your young people come to visit. Hello! Who doesn't want to be the greatest grandparent!
Finally, I could see teachers in the traditional preschool classroom using them, especially during Covid. Individual sensory boxes that students could take out on their own is perfect for minimizing germs (which we are all acutely aware of now). Last year, we used a larger sensory bin and were meticulous about cleaning. But had I had the resources, I would have created a mini-sensory bin for each child. This is especially appealing for small classes or for preschool/prekindergarten students who have specific sensory needs or behavioral needs.
2. Some of the boxes come with a book. Bonus! I've tried to select books that encourage imagination, creativity, self-esteem, and love of nature.
3. The boxes are tools not entertainment. In other words, a child has to play with the "toy" rather than be entertained by the toy - hence the imagination and creativity building.
4. The skills that can be developed are truly endless:
building,
counting,
story retelling,
letter identification,
seriation,
sorting,
shape and color identification,
language building,
building/constructing,
and the list goes on.