We love switching out our sensory table in our classroom to keep it fresh and engaging for our kiddos. After about one or two weeks though, we find our kiddos start getting bored with the contents and it is time to switch out our sensory table fillers.

Filling a sensory bin doesn’t have to cost a fortune. There are tons of thing you probably already have around your house that you can use to use as a base.

Check out this list of 100 everyday items you can use for exciting sensory bin fillers to get those little minds learning.

Food Items

1. rice

2. colored pasta

3. spaghetti (wet or dry)

4. oats

5. pop corn kernels

6. black eyed peas

7. beans all one size

8. beans in various sizes (great for sorting)

9. seeds

10. corn meal

11. split peas

12. lentils

13. candy corn

14. coffee beans

15. frozen vegetables

16. tapioca pearls

17. Jell-O

18. pudding

19. jellybeans

20. cereal

Seasonal

21. wrapping paper

22. gift bows

23. ribbons

24. pumpkin guts

25. tinsel

26. pumpkin seads

27. Easter grass

28. instant snow

29. silk flowers

30. silk leaves

31. jingle bells

Nature

32. tree bark

33. moss

34. sticks/twigs

35. rocks

36. pebbles

37. real leaves

38. flower petals

39. grass cuttings

40. snow

41. shells

42. pine cones

43. sand

44. dirt

45. mud

46. soil

47. hay

48. water

49. ice with rock salt

50. acorns

Craft Items

51. plastic eggs

52. rubber bands

53. sequins

54. pipe cleaners

55. gems

56. pompoms

57. pony beads

58. straws

59. googly eyes

60. aquarium rocks

61. colored sand

62. shredded paper

63. cotton balls

64. marbles

65. Oobleck

66. feathers

67. cut yarn

68. Large glitter flakes

69. Rainbow Loom bands

70. Kinetic Sand

71. play dough

72. moon sand

73. mini erasers

74. buttons

Common Household Items

75. sawdust

76. wood chips

77. saving cream

78. nuts & bolts

79. magnetic letters, shapes, numbers

80. dish soap and water

81. corks

82. Legos

83. bird seed

84. cut Q-tips

85. packing peanuts

86. plastic ice cubes

87. grass (real or fake)

88. glass beads

89. tissue paper

90. soap shavings

91. bubble wrap

92. paper clips

93. plastic baby links

94. milk jug lids

95. foam shapes, letters, numbers

96. paper & hole puncher

97. moon sand

98. cardboard tubes

99. plastic gems/vase fillers

100. coins (real or plastic)

101. bottle tops

What are some of your favorite fillers? I’d love to hear what you use in sensory bins for your little learners!

Please use parental/teacher discretion when choosing fillers and learning items to fill your sensory bin based on your child’s developmental level. Many of the suggestions could be choking hazards who put things in their mouths. Activities suggested by Littlest Bookworms should be supervised by an adult.

More Sensory Bin Ideas