A desert sensory bin is a fun way to introduce your toddlers and preschoolers to desert animals and the characteristics of the desert.
A sensory bin is like a buildable interactive diorama for younger children that lets them explore their senses and whatever the topic is you have chosen for them to learn about.
In this case it is a desert sensory bin to discover the dry, sandy climate and some of the animals that make their home there.
During the day, the desert sun is very strong, and it gets super-hot.
But when the sun goes down at night, the desert can get very chilly.
So, the animals and plants have to be ready for big changes in temperature. It’s like two different worlds in one amazing place.
BOOKS ABOUT THE DESERT FOR KIDS
Too, look at these books about the desert.
When possible we prefer learning through living books so I add them as I find them.
18 Desert Books & Resources for Kids Who Love Reading and Being Read To
Add some of these living books and references books about the desert to your library.
Children's reader on the subject of deserts and what lives there Large book with very large kid friendly illustrations
It is another hot day in the desert. Birds and other animals scurry about looking for food. When they get tired they stop to rest at a giant cactus. It is their hotel in the desert!Many different animals live in the cactus hotel. It protects them; and they protect it, by eating the pests that could harm the cactus.The cactus grows larger and larger and will live for about two hundred years. When one animal moves out, another moves in. There is never a vacancy in the cactus hotel.This story--about a desert, a giant cactus, and the animals who live in it--is one that even the youngest child will understand and enjoy.
A venerable saguaro cactus stands like a statue in the hot desert landscape, its armlike branches reaching fifty feet into the air. From a distance it appears to be completely still and solitary--but appearances can be deceptive. In fact, this giant tree of the desert is alive with activity. Its spiny trunk and branches are home to a surprising number of animals, and its flowers and fruit feed many desert dwellers. Gila woodpeckers and miniature elf owls make their homes inside the saguaro's trunk. Long-nosed bats and fluttering white doves drink the nectar from its showy white flowers. People also play a role in the saguaro's story: each year the Tohono O'odham Indians gather its sweet fruit in a centuries-old harvest ritual.
Imagine over three million square miles of sand dunes that are as tall as a ten-story building. That place is real -- it's the Sahara Desert! Vast, yes! And home to fascinating creatures such as ostriches and fennec foxes as well as amazing plant life. The shallow roots of the mesquite tree can grow almost 200 feet across to absorb water. Readers will also learn about the famous trade routes of the past with caravans of up to 10,000 camels, European explorers to the region (some very unlucky ones), and native populations like the Berber and Tuareg, the faces of the men are blue from the dye in the veils they always wear.
Antarctica, the earth's southernmost continent, was virtually untouched by humans until the nineteenth century. Many famous explorers journeyed (and often died) there in the hope of discovering a land that always seemed out of reach. This book introduces readers to this desert--yes, desert!--continent that holds about 90 percent of the world's ice; showcases some of the 200 species that call Antarctica home, including the emperor penguin; and discusses environmental dangers to the continent, underscoring how what happens to Antarctica affects the entire world.
In the early morning hours, an artist stirs. Gathering her paints and notebook, she heads into the Arizona Sonoran Desert to explore its treasures. Sketching, painting, and writing, she records all that she sees and as night falls, she spreads out her pictures to make this scrapbook of her day, from dawn to dusk.
Surveys the living conditions in Arizona's Sonora Desert for the people and unusual animals that live there. Also describes the engineering accomplishment of Hoover Dam.
In Desert Solitaire, Edward Abbey recounts his many escapades, adventures, and epiphanies as an Arches National Park ranger outside Moab, Utah. Brimming with arresting insights, impassioned arguments for wilderness conservation, and a raconteur’s wit, it is one of Abbey’s most critically acclaimed works. Through stories and philosophical musings, Abbey reflects on the condition of our remaining wilderness, the future of a civilization, and his own internal struggle with morality. As the world continues its rapid development, Abbey’s cry to maintain the natural beauty of the West remains just as relevant today as when this book first appeared in 1968.
While the rest of the animals hide from view from a group of rambunctious coyotes, the fearless gang takes full advantage of the open space of Cactus Canyon and participates with great zeal in an array of nighttime activities, but an unexpected encounter with a rattlesnake quickly puts an end to the coyotes fun as they are sent running for cover, too!
Marian called it Roxaboxen. There across the road, it looked like any rocky hill—nothing but sand and rocks, and some old wooden boxes. But it was a special place. And all children needed to go there was a long stick and a soaring imagination.
n this latest installation of the Cat in the Hat's Learning Library, the Cat takes Sally and Dick to explore different kinds of deserts around the world, from the hot, dry Sonoran and Mojavi to the bitter cold Gobi and Antarctica. Young readers learn why deserts are dry, and how plants and animals—including cactus, kangaroos, camels, penguins, roadrunners, and many others—have adapted to survive the unforgiving climate. Also included: how sand dunes are formed; the reason we see mirages, and how shallow water beneath the surface of the ground can create an oasis. Fans of the new PBS preschool science show The Cat in the Hat Knows a Lot About That! (which is based on the Learning Library series) won't want to miss this hot new addition to the series!
‘A wounded mountain lion moves from his mountain habitat to a Papago Indian hut in Arizona’s Sonoran desert during a record-breaking July day. All creation adapts to the blistering heat until a cloudburst causes a flash flood. With a measured yet vivid style, this introduction to desert ecology makes a memorable impact."
This intriguing yet simple description will captivate young readers who have an interest in the unfamiliar.
Take a walk through the desert. This hot, dry biome of the southwest is full of life. How do plants and animals of the desert live? As you wander through the desert, discover how each and every plant and animal relies on the others to live and grow.
Learn about the fascinating creatures of the desert Southwest including: Venomous Animals Insects and Arthropods Rattlesnakes, Lizards, Desert Tortoise The Roadrunner and other Birds Bighorn Sheep, Kit Fox, Coyote.
Now in its fourth edition, this is a beautiful book with both historical and contemporary images showing the most important plants used by Native Americans. Medicinal, food resources, tools and shelter are just some of the uses discussed. Plants shown and described are among the most widespread plants in the desert Southwest.
Learn all about desert snakes with the beautiful book by James W. Cornett.
An excellent introduction to the natural history of the Namib Desert of southwest Africa. At its heart, second only to the Atacama Desert of Chile and Peru as the driest place on Earth. Also, it is the oldest desert on our planet and the only desert with a megafauna including elephant, giraffe, and rhinoceros. The lofty orange dunes, highest in the world, are also shown and discussed.
Also, many animals make their home in the desert. Some animals, like camels, are big and strong.
Others, like lizards, are small and speed, they all have special ways to stay cool and find food in the desert.
Let’s learn about some of these “cool” desert animals
DESERT ANIMALS
CAMELS
- Often called “ships of the desert” due to their endurance.
- Humps- Store fat reserves for energy, not water. Enables survival during limited food.
- Long Eyelashes- Protect eyes from sand, maintaining visibility in dust storms.
- Wide Feet- Improve movement on sand by distributing weight and preventing sinking.
LIZARDS
- Prefer sun exposure and basking on rocks.
- Scales: Provide protection, thermoregulation, and camouflage.
- Tail: Some can detach their tail as a defense mechanism; it regenerates.
- Food: Diets vary, including insects, plants, and small vertebrates.
SNAKES
- Move via slithering.
- Skin: Scaly, shed periodically for growth and repair.
- Tongue: Used as a chemosensory organ for detecting stimuli and prey.
- Food: Varying diets, swallowing prey whole.
SCORPIONS
- Possess an exoskeleton and venomous stinger.
- Claws-Used for prey capture.
- Stinger- Used for venom injection in predation or defense.
- Nighttime-Mostly active at night to avoid heat.
VULTURES
- Vultures are big birds that help keep the desert clean. They eat animals that have died.
- Wings-They can fly very high in the sky and can see far distances.
- Heads-Their bald heads help keep them clean when they eat.
- Groups-Vultures often fly in groups called kettles.
MEERKATS
- Food-Opportunistic omnivores, eating insects, small vertebrates, and plants.
- Live in social groups called mobs or gangs.
- Group Living- Enhances predator detection, defense, and offspring rearing.
- Lookouts- Individuals act as sentinels, surveying for threats.
Then look at these activities to learn more about the desert.
DESERT ACTIVITIES AND RESOURCES
- Check out these 8 Desert Craft Ideas | How To Make Egg Carton Cactus to focus a bit on the flora of the desert biome.
- Get little ones active while still on theme with these Desert Themed Yoga ideas.
- 7 Desert Crafts For Kids: How To Make A Clay Cactus Jewelry Holder
- Watch the video What Animals Live in the Desert? To learn more about some of the most common creatures who live there.
- Exploring Edible Cactus: Hands-on Learning (The Desert)
- Build fine motor skills while you work on bending and folding paper with Scorpion Origami.
- The book based Camel Race STEAM Activity Inspired by The Wooden Camel gets kids thinking critically.
- Easy Desert Animal Crafts And A Scorpion Creation
- Memory games are great for strengthening various cognitive skills, including memory, attention, focus, and problem-solving. Here are Free Printable Shape Matching Games for Desert Theme that also incorporate early math.
- Explore 3 completely different desert habitats and learn How to Make A Desert Triorama About the Gobi, Sahara, & Antarctica to display the flora and fauna of each.
- While you are learning about snakes of the desert here is a fun craft Celebrate Snakes | How To Make A Fake Snakeskin Snake Craft Preschool to learn about this aspect of snakes.
Of course a good reference book nearby is important as well. Both Nature Anatomy and Wildlife Anatomy are a treasure trove of information for little learners on up to upper grades.
HOW TO CREATE AN ENGAGING DESERT SENSORY BIN
I recommend including your child in the creation of the sensory bin from the start so you can talk about the characteristics of each element as you put them in place.
You will need:
- Safari Desert Animals
- Sensory Bin Tub
- Play Sand
- Small pebbles
- Air dry clay, paint
Start with a good sized bin.
You can use anything you have on hand but I really like to use stackable sensory bins like those I listed above.
You can put a variety of base filler like sand, rice, pebbles, and more, leaving them to be turned into an amazing themed sensory bin.
Add sand until it’s about halfway full.
You can leave it just sand or add some small pebbles or rocks to give it more texture and of course sorting possibilities.
If you would like to add a few cactus plants you can make some with air dry clay ahead of time and paint them green, add some broken toothpick pieces for spikes.
Set a few cacti in place.
Place plastic desert animals in the sensory bin.
Other items I like to include with a sensory bin are small cups or bowls, slotted spoons, small strainers, and even flash cards with animals related to the topic.
Finally, look at a few more sensory bins.
SENSORY BINS
- Sensory Play Made Easy: Crafting a Community Helpers Sensory Bin
- How To Create An Engaging Cranberry Sensory Bin
- 10 Kindergarten Sensory Bin Ideas | How To Make A Summer Sensory Bin
- Discover The Magic Of Nocturnal Creatures | Nocturnal Animal Sensory Bin
- How to Make a Watermelon Sensory Bin for Play and Learning
- 9 Hands on Weather Activities for Kids and Awesome Weather Sensory Tray
- Fun Corn Life Cycle Preschool Sensory Bin and Printable Lifecycle Foldout
