Hippo Riverbank

 Items needed
- Sandy colored felt
- Blue felt river
- Green felt river edge
- Plastic hippopotamus
- Plastic crocodiles
- Leaves
- Rocks

This hippo riverbank is a take-off from the original Hippo Swamp Sensory Box. I added lots of leaves so the crocodiles could be hidden along the river.

 When the leaves are removed you can see home many crocodiles there really are!

Bug-Me-a-Lot

Star Fish Ocean

Frozen Snowflake Sensory Bin

Pick-Me-Up Ants Sensory Box

Items needed
-Sandy colored felt
-Plastic ants
-Magnifying glasses
-Tongs
-Bark
-Ant house of some type (old wasp nest, plastic dish etc.)
-Grass

How to Make a Bee Hive

Under construction

Ocean Felt Build-a-Box

Ocean Felt Build-a-Box

-Blue felt

-Sandy colored felt

-Green felt square

-Seashells

-Plastic sharks

 I cut one blue square out of a large piece of felt so it just fit into the bottom of my box. 

 Then I cut out one sandy colored piece with a wavy edge and placed it on top of the blue felt in the box.

Then I cut out a green piece of felt from a felt square and placed it on top of the sandy colored felt.

I added sharks and seashells. Instant ocean!

Hippo Swamp Sensory Box

Hippo Swamp Sensory Box
-Sandy colored felt piece
-Lake Felt
-Plastic Hippopotamus
-Plastic alligators
-Plastic trees and grass

 First I cut a piece of sandy colored felt that just fit in the bottom of my box.

Next I added a piece of blue felt that I cut with wavy edges from a felt square.

The last thing I put in were the plastic animals and trees.

Busy Bee Sensory Box

Busy Bee Sensory Box
-Sandy colored felt piece
-Silk leaves
-Silk flowers
-Flat marbles, blue - (I got mine at a craft store)
-Old natural wasp comb - (I found several inside my front porch light)
-Bark pieces
-Pretend Bees
-Bee Hive (see How to Make a Bee Hive)

Yellow Loader Sensory Box

Yellow Loader Sensory Box
-  Pinto beans, ~1/2 cup
- Small loader, Tonka
- Small dump truck
- Small containers
- Scoop (plastic lid from a Gerber baby food container)   

The pinto beans work well for the loader to push around in the Build-a-Box. When they fall out they are easy to see and pick up. I play a "Can you find any beans!" type game with the kids to locate the beans and put them back in the box.  

Foam Beading Sensory Box

Foam Beading Sensory Box
-Foam Beads (Beads 2-Lace by Creative Hands)
-Pipe cleaners

This is a super easy box to make! The beads are easy to push onto pipe cleaners, but I still choose the thinner type cleaners to make it as easy as possible. It is a really great activity to increase fine motor skills.

When more than one child is playing at one time I made a rule that all the beads stay in the box except the one you are picking up to add to your project.

Corn Mice Sensory Box

Corn Mice Sensory Box

Robin's Nest Sensory Box

Nature Log Sensory Box

Nature Log Sensory Box
-Natural colored felt piece
-Wood log or branch
-Silk leaves
-Bark pieces (from the front yard)
-Fake snow (leftover from Christmas) -optional
-Plush Forest animals

I started with the sandy colored felt piece that just fits in the bottom of my Build-a-Box. Then I found a log piece that was more like a piece of kindling. The one I used was cedar, but any kind of clean, wood chunk should work well. I pulled some extra silk leaves off of flower stems and because there always seems to be so many extras, I made a large Ziploc bag full of different types of leaves that I can use anytime I need a leaf for one of my boxes. I then gathered some bark pieces from the front yard (which I now also keep in a small Ziploc bag) and placed them in front of the log in my Build-a-Box. I then scattered fake snow over the entire log, leaves and bark. I used several different types of forest animals. The ones pictured are Ty Beanie Baby SARGE (a German Shepard),  STINKIE the skunk, and a mini chipmunk puppet made by Folkmanis. 

For my chipmunk box I took out the snow and added nuts. I used walnuts here, but sometimes I use acorns too. I am always very careful when I use any type of nut since some children are highly allergic to them. 

Build-a-Box River Frogs Sensory Box

Build-a-Box 

As a preschool teacher I discovered very quickly that I personally needed more hands than I had available… and if I had a tail I would put it to use too. Since I always arrived at work with both hands and arms overflowing, I devised a way to transport some of my activities in a manageable way. I created a Build-a-Box system for myself. They are basically a mini, sensory box or activity that I can make and take. The kids love them and they look forward to seeing what is new every day.  

I started with a clear, Really Useful Box ® that is about 12”x 14” that I got at Staples. It has a nice tight fitting lid that snaps shut. It also has a nice flat bottom that works well for these activities. They stack very tightly in a small space and are easy to carry several at a time. I am sure that there are other types of boxes that would work well, so don’t let the type of box hold you back. A flat cardboard box could be used if that is what you have available.  

For my nature boxes I cut out a piece of felt that just fits in the bottom. I made several of these in different natural colors. I like light blue, sandy brown, dark brown and different shades of greens. For the base layer of the river box I used felt by the yard that I purchased at a fabric/craft store. I cut this piece out to just fit in the bottom of the box.

For the smaller pieces I just used a felt square and cut through them a little off center lengthwise with a wavy pattern (I cut them off center so they would be different in size so each of them could have a different use).

Then I gathered together my sensory objects. I like little baskets to keep them in, but they certainly could be places directly into the Build-a-Box. I make sure that all items in my box are age appropriate to the child. I am especially watchful of chocking hazards when I am making these for younger children. 

River Frogs Sensory Box
- Rocks
- Plastic Frogs
-Turtles
-Greenery

It all fits neatly into the box and is ready to go anywhere I need to take it.

Fishing Bear Box

Fishing Bear Sensory Box
-River felt pieces
-Rocks
-Pine bushes
-Plush bear
-Plastic fish
-Fishing net

I use the same felt in the bottom of this box that I made for my Frog River Box. I added the rocks and made some pine bushes out of a holiday bough (fake) by removing a small section and twisting the sharp ends down with a pair of needle nose pliers and then curling them into a round ball that stands up flat on one end.

The stuffed bear is a Beanie Baby named Pecan, but any realistic bear would work well. I am reusing the stretchy bag that the rocks came in for my fishing net. I cut the top off and it self closes to "catch" the fish. Lots of products come in these little bags so they are not too hard to find. The kids love to catch everything in the net. The good news is that it holds a lot! So far it can simultaneously confine the fish, all the rocks, all of the pine bushes and most of Mr. Bear.