Ask Ollie
Fall Treasure Sensory Bin
Here's one to try together!
Scoop, sort and count a tub full of crunchy leaves, bumpy gourds and prickly pinecones, like a cozy autumn forest!
Reviewed by our team.
Safety first
- choking risk from small items such as acorns for children under 3; offer only large items to that age
- broken acorns or loose acorn caps can be choking hazards; check that acorns are whole
- acorns are tree nuts and may be a concern for children with nut allergies
- adult supervision needed for young children with natural objects
What you need
- Clear cups, 3 to 4
- Big tub, 1
- Scoops, 2 or 3
- Towel, 1, or an old sheet
- Small gourds, a few
- Dried leaves, a few big handfuls
- Big pinecones, a few
- Whole acorns, a handful, not for under 3s (optional)
How to do it
Grown-up prep: Gather dried leaves, pinecones, small gourds and acorns. Check every acorn and keep only whole ones, with no cracks and no loose caps. For children under 3, leave out acorns and any other small pieces and offer only large items like big pinecones, gourds and leaves. Acorns are tree nuts, so skip them if anyone in the house has a nut allergy. Lay a towel or old sheet under the tub to catch leaf crumbs, and stay close by the whole time.
- Put the leaves in the tub first so they make a soft, crunchy bed.
- Add the gourds, pinecones and acorns on top of the leaves.
- Drop the scoops and cups into the bin.
- Dig, scoop and pour the treasures from cup to cup.
- Sort the treasures into cups: one cup for each kind. Ask: Where should the pinecones go? How do you know they belong together?
- Count what is in each cup, touching each item as you say the number.
- Close your eyes, pick up one treasure and describe how it feels. Ask: Is it smooth, bumpy, prickly or crinkly? Can you guess what it is?
- Check that all the items are back in the bin and tidy up together. Ask for help if you need it
- Now show a friend, or hide new treasures! What will Ollie find next? Ask: What new fall treasure would you add to the bin?
Play it again
- Mystery dig: hide one treasure under the leaves and find it by feel with your eyes closed.
- Treasure hunt: a grown-up calls out a kind, like pinecone, and you race to scoop up three.
- Rainbow sort: sort by color or size instead of by type, then line them up from smallest to biggest.
Kids loved this? There are more where it came from.
Get 3 free ideas a dayTurn "I'm bored" into "let's do something together!" 3 free ideas a day, picked for your kids.