Add this apple pie sensory bin to your next kindergarten or preschool apple theme. You don’t need much for the apple pie fun, and it’s so easy to make adjustments based on the materials you have on-hand. In fact, I’ll share two simple versions we’ve used over the years to inspire your own apple sensory play.
Young children learn so much with the play apple pie invitation. On top of all the fun they’re having, of course. The open-ended play means they get to make the decisions as their senses are engaged.
Apple Pie Sensory Bin
Read below for materials, suggestions, and extension ideas for a spicy sensory bin that pairs well with an apple unit. Of course, keep in mind that you don’t have to do things the same way we have! I change things up all the time, so feel free to do the same.
Materials for the Apple Pie Sensory Table
I’m a big proponent of using what you already have at hand. So I highly recommend checking out your teacher stash to see what’s available. Here’s what we used for multiple apple pie themed sensory invitations (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post):
- Sensory table
- Round pie pan
- Oats
- Sugar
- Apple pie spice
- Cinnamon sticks
- Pompoms (red, yellow, green)
- Fake apples
- Brown construction paper
- Kid-sized cooking and baking tools
- Measuring cups and spoons
I know that looks like a long list, but I wanted to map out everything we’ve used over the years. Please note that these materials are for multiple apple pie sensory bins. Pick and choose the items you prefer and go from there!
How to Prep the Apple Pie Sensory Bin
You can set up the spice apple sensory play for your students ahead of time. Or you can have them get everything set up. That’s down to your own personal preference, as well as your kids’ ages and needs.
Here’s directions for our original apple pie spice sensory play:
- Pour a large container of oats into a sensory bin. You can use instant or old-fashioned oats, and you might need more than one container.
- Add lots of apple pie spice. Let your nose be the judge.
- Place red, yellow, and green pompom “apples” into the bin next.
- Finally, add sensory tools like measuring cups to the setup.
And this is how to prep the more recent apple invitation:
- Scoop dry oats into a round pie pan.
- Place sugar, fake apples, and cinnamon sticks into bowls or containers nearby.
- Cut brown construction paper into strips and set near the pan of oats.
- Finally, add things like whisks and spoons by the apple pie sensory bin.
I can tell you from experience, both of these ideas were a hit! Choose the one that your students will enjoy the most. Or take aspects from both and set up something just a little different.
How Kids Use the Play Apple Pie Invitations
One of the great things about invitations like this apple pie sensory bin is that it’s open-ended. This means your students interact with the materials as they see fit. So there are so many ways to play! Here are some possible scenarios:
- Students set up an apple pie bakery using the materials. They make “pies” and sell them in a store. If your kids do this, consider combining your sensory center with your dramatic play center for a while.
- Kids have fun scooping and pouring the oats, running their hands through the materials.
- Children add sugar, cinnamon, and spices to the oats. They mix everything together and focus on how great the concoction smells.
- They focus on the fake apples, sorting by color, shape, and size. The kids count each of the apples, maybe even lining the apples up as they count.
- Kiddos are intent making the lattice of their pies using brown construction paper stripes. They want their apple pies to look just so.
Of course, your children might do something else completely. And that is perfectly fine! When I first set up the apple pie sensory bin, my students jumped right in, creating “pies” and “cakes” and even some “apple soup”.
I had fun watching them as they got into the center, especially their reactions to the apple pie scent. Throughout center time, it was obvious which children liked how the apple pie sensory bin smelled . . . they all had bits of oats on the tips of their noses! 🙂
Each time I’ve put something like this together, it’s led to hours of fun. Some years, the students ask to keep the apple pie sensory bin going for weeks on end, even!
What Are Kids Learning with the Sensory Bin?
Playing “just” to play is incredibly important for young children. For people of all ages, really. Alongside that play, your students are learning and exploring many important early learning concepts. Here are just a few examples:
- Sensory exploration (smelling the apple pie spice and cinnamon, touching the oats, hearing the oats as they’re poured, and seeing all the sensory bin materials)
- Measuring
- Volume
- More and less
- Sorting
- Color identification
- Descriptive vocabulary
- Turn taking
- Fine and gross motor skills
- Conversational skills
And that’s surely not an exhaustive list of how meaningful this apple pie sensory play is! If you give it a go with your students, be sure to let me know how it went in the comments.
More Apple Sensory Activities for Kids
If your students love the apple pie sensory bin, I bet they’ll get a kick out of these ideas as well:
- Apple Sensory Bin with dyed chickpeas
- Water and Apples Sensory Bin
- Apple Sensory Table with scented water
- Fall Apple and Rice Sensory Bin
- Apple Pie Playdough
- Wash the Apples Sensory Play
- Apple Taste Test with free printable class book pages
Apple Lesson Plans
Let Preschool Teacher 101 save you a ton of time with fully-developed, done-for-you early childhood resources. We have over 100 comprehensive lesson plan sets, differentiated math activities, dramatic play resources, songs, skill-based digital activities, writing journal prompts, STEM activities and more. Join The Pack, our membership for preschool and kindergarten teachers, for an even steeper discount on our products.
Click on the image below for our apple lesson plans:
Here are even more apple-themed resources to make your life easier:
You can also find us on Teachers Pay Teachers.
Originally published September 2013.
I love how simple and engaging this is. Making our own today!
Love the idea of using scented oats and pom-poms in your sensory bin- brilliant! Thanks for sharing.
This looks like so much fun … very inviting! I featured your photo and post in my 30+ Apple Sensory Tubs post today. 🙂
Love the simplicity of it! Featured you on Mom’s Library this week!
Thank you for sharing. I am going to use this next week.
Glad to hear that! Let me know how it goes. 🙂