Need a slam dunk activity? Make a Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin!

OMG – this is exactly what we needed to up our February game: it’s a Valentine’s Day sensory bin with a big secret…

IT’S MADE WITH ITEMS FROM THE DOLLAR STORE. This is one cheap bin. Nothing fancy or expensive here!

RELATED: Looking for more quick and easy Valentine’s Day activities? Check out this list!!

Valentine’s Day activities do not need to cost much!!

This activity is proof of that! Most everything here is either recycled from my previous sensory bins or from the dollar store.

There’s always this myth floating around that kids need fancy activity – they don’t!

RELATED: Need some Valentine’s Day slime in your life? Try this recipe!

They need engaging. They need child-centered. They need simple.

Overwhelming them with too many fancy supplies will actually do the opposite!

I started my Valentine’s Day Sensory bin by dyeing rice

If you haven’t made Rainbow Rice yet….let today be that day.

I followed the standard one to one (1 cup rice to 1 tablespoon vinegar) rule for creating this rice.

I did red, pink, and purple – 3 cups rice for each color (so 3 tablespoons of white vinegar for each color). I put the rice and vinegar in a plastic bag with a TON of squirts of food coloring. After smooshing it all together, I laid the rice to dry for 30 mins on a cookie sheet.

This rice will last years!

No – but really. It will.

This rice will last years – I can just seal this back into a bag for the next year and bring it out again on February 1.

Rice is the best sensory bin supply – I couldn’t live without it!

RELATED: Want more Sensory Bin activities? I have TONS!

Next, I started adding supplies

Here’s how I made this Valentine’s Day sensory bin – it was so easy!

• Colored rice
• Miscellaneous Valentine items from the Dollar Store
• Ice cube tray (they sell these at the Dollar Store too)
• 2 plastic scoops from the Dollar Store

Like I said – this was one easy and cheap activity to put together!

My kids had a blast with this Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin

What a great way for my kids to “play” with this holiday.

A Valentine’s Day themed-bin seemed like the perfect activity for my 3 and 5 year old.

I left this bin out for the whole Valentine’s “season” – it was a great space for them to bounce back to as they plated around the house.

RELATED: How did I teach my kids to keep sensory bins clean? Find out here.

You need need to break the bank to make a fun holiday activity!

A little colored rice and some dollar store supplies go a long way to making a perfect Valentine’s Day Sensory bin – it was PERFECT for my kids!

What will you put in your love themed sensory bin?