Get inspired by this collection of St. Patrick’s Day sensory bins! Then be sure to check out the rest of my St. Patrick’s Day activities for preschoolers and kindergarten kids.
Whether they’re centered on rainbows, gold coins, or those tricky leprechauns, the sensory ideas for St. Patrick’s Day are sure to engage your students! And, since the bins are open-ended, keep the kids engaged for quite some time.
Some of the St. Paddy’s Day sensory bins are super simple to set up, while others take a little more planning and prep. But they all have room for tweaks and adjustments based on the interests, ages, and needs of your students. Plus, you can use the St. Patrick’s Day sensory tubs to touch on a wide variety of early learning skills!
Your students will engage in rich sensory experiences with any of the St. Patrick’s Day sensory bins in the collection below. In addition to sensory exploration, these activities also offer many other benefits, including self-regulation and early skills practice.
So sort through the list and choose a few favorites. Then follow those specific links to find details about each activity.
Table of Contents
Why is Sensory Play Important?
Open-ended activities are great for children. They provide the time and space for kids to learn and play as they see fit. This allows them to focus on and learn about things that interest them,
Sensory bins are one of the most ideal open-ended activities. They allow the kids to use their senses to learn about the world around them. And they’re the perfect example of a self-guided activity.
As if those benefits weren’t enough, sensory tubs are also a tool used to promote early learning skills and concepts. Here are some of the skills and concepts kids can learn with the St. Patrick’s Day sensory bins:
- Sensory exploration
- Color identification
- Color theory
- Visual perception and discrimination
- Letter/number identification
- Cause and effect
- Counting
- Patterns
- Imaginative play
- Self-regulation techniques
This list only has a few of the many skills kids can learn through sensory play. Depending on how you set it up, sensory bins can serve as practice for almost any early learning concept or skill.
St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Materials
As with any successful preschool activity, the first order of business is to gather all of the necessary materials. So I made a list of some materials that I tend to reach for when it comes to St. Patrick’s Day sensory bins.
Here are some supplies to grab (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
Follow the guides linked with the ideas below. Or combine some of the items listed above to create a sensory bin. Better yet, take a look through your supply closet for some St. Patrick’s Day sensory bin inspiration.
Regardless of your specific St. Patrick’s Day sensory play setup, the kids are sure to have a blast!
St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bins
This collection has so many sensory bins perfect for St. Patrick’s Day. So, with that in mind, I’ve decided to split the list up. The first section of the list consists of sensory bins that have a general St. Paddy’s Day theme. The second section is dedicated to rainbows! These sensory bins are perfect for St. Patrick’s Day, but would also work well all spring long.
St. Paddy’s Day Sensory Bins
Here are some of my favorite St. Paddy’s Day sensory bin ideas:
Split peas, chickpeas, and a few shamrock-themed items make up the ingredients list for the super-engaging shamrock sensory bin.
Hide gold coins and shamrock stickers throughout the most interesting sensory material in St. Patrick’s Day fine motor sensory bin.
Gather some green and gold coins along with a few shamrocks. Then break out one of the kids’ favorite sensory materials – water beads! Put them all together for some super fun St. Patrick’s Day sensory play.
Green rotini pasta noodles make such a great sensory bin filler. Add a few shamrocks, leprechauns, and several rainbow-colored manipulatives for a fun and whimsical St. Patrick’s Day sensory bin.
Children hunt for treasures as they explore is shamrock math sensory bin and small world play.
The green, orange, and white-dyed chickpeas make an interesting and impactful visual contrast in this St. Patrick’s Day sensory bin.
Add themed word cards and letter shamrocks to a St. Patrick’s Day literacy sensory bin. Such a fun way to incorporate literacy into sensory play!
Children discover and hide treasures using the treasure chests in this St. Patrick’s Day treasure hunt sensory bin. The treasure chests are a nice touch in this sensory bin!
This St. Patrick’s Day-themed pots o’ gold sensory bin offers a variety of interesting textures for kids to explore.
With this St. Patrick’s Day measurement sensory bin, children will get the chance to scoop and fill various measuring cups and spoons. A great way to work on measuring while following simple recipes!
I love the rainbow arch in this shamrock-filled St. Patrick’s Day sensory bin! And the foam block base adds so many opportunities for creative play.
Rainbow Sensory Bins
These rainbow sensory bin ideas are perfect for St. Patrick’s day, but you can incorporate them throughout the rest of spring, too!
Kids explore concepts of color theory with a giant shaving cream rainbow! Make sure they come to school prepared (think water play) because this activity has a tendency to get a little messy!
Children love the chance to touch, smell, taste, and experiment with this rainbow gelatin sensory tub! It would be really simple to make mini versions of this sensory activity so each kid has their own tiny tub of joy!
The rainbow rice sensory bin is fun all on its own. But add a few sets of letter manipulatives to turn it into an incredible literacy activity that kids can do all while exploring their senses!
Dig for gold with the rainbow yarn sensory bin. Then use the free gold coin printable for counting practice! You can see it in action here:
Macaroni has the best shape for a rainbow-themed activity! And there are so many ways to use them in this rainbow messy play invitation. Add a wooden rainbow tray for even more fun!
I love how bright and vibrant the kernels are in this corn sensory bin. Use the bin of colorful corn as a stand-alone sensory bin or as a base for any number of themed sensory play activities.
There are some very interesting texture and color combinations going on in this pasta rainbow sensory bin. The kids are going to love this slimy and foamy sensory experience!
So, that wraps up this collection of St. Patrick’s Day sensory bins. Which activities are you excited to try with your students? Be sure to let us know in the comments below!
Even More Activities for St. Patrick’s Day
You’ll probably need a few other fun and engaging activities to round out your St. Patrick’s Day lesson plans. Here are some to try out:
- St. Patrick’s Day Preschool Crafts
- Lucky Charms Catapults
- St. Patrick’s Day Songs for Preschoolers
- St. Patrick’s Day Play Dough Trays
- Pot of Gold Number Cards
- Leprechaun Bait
- St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bottles
I think they pair very well with the St. Patrick’s Day sensory bins shared above!
St. Patrick’s Day Lesson Plans
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Literacy activities, math games, sight words, and more! This printable St. Patrick’s Day Lesson Plan product will make for one lucky preschool class! Click on the image below for more information.
Perhaps you’re looking for St. Patrick’s Day resources to last you the entire month of March. If that’s the case, check out some great supplemental resources by clicking on the images below.
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