This spring sensory play tub with carrots is great for a range of ages.
Here’s how to set it up, with extra ideas for spring activities for kids.
Spring sensory play tub with carrots
Watch our Sensory Tub Masterclass
Click to play on the video above to see our sensory tub masterclass. You’ll learn how to make a sensory tub for your children using simple materials, the benefits of sensory tubs for children, and how to use a sensory tub to teach children about math, literacy, science and fine motor skills.
You’ll also see lots of ideas for sensory tub fillings plus find out how to get great printables to add to your tubs. Subscribe to NurtureStore’s YouTube channel to get more sensory play videos!
Sensory tubs are wonderful for children to play with. They offer opportunities to explore sights, sounds, smells and textures, and promote lots of imaginary play and language development.
There are three basic ingredients you need for a sensory tub:
:: the tub itself. You’ll want something large enough to hold your materials, but shallow enough so your child can easily reach inside. I usually use this under-the-bed storage box, which is just right.
:: a base material. We’re using rice today, but you could use shredded brown paper, dyed pasta, or real compost for your tub.
To dye the rice I placed it in a plastic bag and added green and red food colouring gel. (Photo borrowed from our lavender sensory tub because I forgot to take a photo this time!)
Give it a good shake, until all the rice is coated in the colouring.
Then spread it out to dry.
I set mine out on a tablecloth and left it overnight – and in the morning discovered the children had already started playing with it, drawing shapes and letters in the rice.
:: Added extras. Try to include a variety of open-ended materials, in different colours, shapes, sizes or textures.
These extra materials can give the children a spark of an idea, and they can use them to explore the tub or start some imaginary play.
Today we have some little spades, rakes, and plant pots. These are great for scooping, pouring and filling. Or perhaps for some pretend gardening.
We also have some real carrots, looking fantastic with their feathery leaves still on.
These bring another, natural texture to the sensory tub, and are fun to plant and pull out of the ground.
And finally, a few little characters are always popular with my children, and very often are a spark for storytelling and puppet shows.
Download all the Spring units and printables
Download our complete Spring lesson plans, activities and printables and your spring teaching will be so easy!
:: five complete units of ebooks and printables for Nature Study, Welcome Spring, Daffodils, Seeds and Shoots, and Eggs and Birds
:: over 50 engaging activities and lesson plans that your children will love
:: over 30 pages of printables that make teaching so easy
:: a balanced programme of math, science, literacy, arts and crafts, nature study, sensory and imaginative play
:: a practical resource that you can start using today, in class or at home
:: weeks worth of learning all planned for you, to take you right through the season
:: created with children aged 4 to 8 in mind
You're going to love this super useful resource!
CLICK HERE to see more and get your spring resource kit.
I LOVE your sensory tubs! This one looks so great for exploration 🙂
How old are your little ones? I feel like my 1 yo would love to play in something like this!
Love the coloured rice- how do you get the brown for soli?
Hi Jennie. I mixed red and green food colouring gels to make the brown.
This looks great, always looking for new ideas, I just let my little one have soil to play with…bad mum :O To be fair he absolutely loves it lol!
Debbie, my daughter loves to play with soil too. Nothing bad mum about that!
Hello, I’ve just seen this and I was wander what development will children learn from this since I’ve got to plan activity for the classroom and I don’t need something complicated since I work in a children nursery. Also is it hard to make? since I love the idea
Hi Awel. Sensory tubs are wonderful for children to explore using all their senses. They can use them for imaginative play, storytelling and language development too. This one is really easy to make.
Hi, I love this and want to do it for my daughter’s Peter Rabbit themed birthday party.
I’m not sure if this is a silly question or not… do you cooked the rice?
Hi Raylene. What a lovely theme for a birthday party! No, don’t cook the rice.
Where did you purchase the tools and plastic pots? They’re perfect!
Hi Kristina, they’re from the garden centre – just ordinary plant pots and children’s gardening tools.
Hi Parents and Teachers,
I teach Pre-k ESE. I use sensory tubs all year. I create them by Seasons or Themes. I have Five and all very inexpensive. Most fillers bought at Dollar Stores or Craft Stores etc. Two are colored rice, Two are sand, and One is water bubbles
Fall-yellow, green, red, mixed colors. or Brown/black for: (Theme) Oct. filled with small items like, skeletons, bats, pumpkins, bones, eye balls Etc.
Winter, I use the white plastic snow, other choices like cotton balls, or shaving cream (messier ) with snowmen, colored snowflakes, small styrofoam balls, clear or blue gem stones Etc. Other options: Winter Holidays or Valentine’s Day,
Spring, pink, yellow, green mixed colors, ( buy pre-made from etsy.com ) brown colored sand or rice, (dirt)) with gardening tools (dollar tree) bugs, worms, flowers , stones, etc. Make sure to include large plastic tweezers for grabbing items.
Water Bubbles (from Dollar Tree fragrance bubbles) mix with water, but I don’t add items because the bubbles fall apart easily and the kids love to squeeze them.
The kids love these! Requires more maintenance, changing water monthly, but definitely worth it!! Choose your own colors.
All the other bins are easily stored in plastic bags. I’ve had mine for years. The possibilities are endless, you don’t have to spend high amounts of money buying everything per-made. Just be creative and have fun with it. Your kids will love it!