Put together a community helpers sensory bin with me for sensory play. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.
It is such an important part of early years to help children develop skills like senses, language skills, small motor skills, and cognitive development.
Community helpers are a wonderful theme to introduce to preschoolers to learn about various careers.
This is one of the first geography topics that you will teach them as they expand their world outside of the home to neighborhoods, city, state, country, continent, and planet.
Learning about community is important.
Now you don’t have to run out and buy a lot of expensive things for your sensory bins, much of it like the bins and filler can be reused for different themes.
COMMUNITY HELPER BOOKS & RESOURCES FOR KIDS
First, look at some of these community helper resources.
7 Community Helper Learning Resources
Add a few of these fun books to your reading library to teach your children about our valuable community helpers.
A playful introduction to careers in a community, that’s also a rhyming picture book guessing game! Perfect for kids interested in different professions around town.Who wears what to work? The clues in each kid-friendly rhyme can be spotted hanging from the clothesline—from a mail carrier’s uniform to a firefighter’s pants and heavy coat. Then turn the page to learn which professionals wear and use the special gear in the jobs they do. Clever illustrations show the workers helping one another, and in the end, everyone comes together for a celebration that is out of this world.
Give your little ones the gift of imagination with this 4-in-1 toddler dress up clothes set! Designed for boys and girls ages 3-6, this set includes four complete kids costumes—Polic
Officer, Firefighter, Chef, and Construction Worker - with accessories for a realistic role-play experience. Perfect for parents looking for gifts for 3 year old boys, this toddler dress up set also makes a wonderful Christmas, birthday, or Halloween gift that will keep them entertained for hours
Describes some of the different kinds of tools that workers use.
Young readers learn about the importance of cooperation and the people who lead the way in our communities. Perfect for beginning readers, National Geographic Pre-readers include simple, expert-vetted text and large, engaging photos on every page. A vocabulary tree at the beginning of the book introduces kids to key words in concept groups, helping kids make connections between words. Plus, a wrap-up activity gives kids a chance to use what they've learned, while expanding their understanding of the world.
Wooden Character Set - A must-have for little boys and girls that love playing people toys. Comes with an assortment of about 28 pieces wooden occupations blocks, 4 trees and 4 pieces wooden play sites including hospital, school, police and fire station. Let your children create an imaginative community with unlimited play possibilities
A fun, interactive book to familiarize kids with community helpers. The lift-the-flap feature attracts the young learners and gives them hours of learning fun. The book is full of eye-catching pictures that improve observation skills, build vocabulary, and encourage reading.
I love to explore Dollar Tree for all the elements of our sensory bins and see if there is anything new to add to the collection.
If I bought everything to complete 3 sensory bins it would have been $14.75.
However, I already have pebbles and dog food at home so I shaved a few dollars there. Everything can be reused not only in sensory bins but to use with blocks, small world play, etc
COMMUNITY HELPERS SENSORY BIN ON A BUDGET
Here is the breakdown of what I would have spent, if you have any items at home it will be even cheaper.
I just wanted to show you that the whole thing could be completed at Dollar Tree.
3 bins- 3.75
3 fillers-3.75
5 toys-6.25
For toys I grabbed a package of trucks and little block characters, a neat dentist set, and 2 pet playsets for the veterinarian.
You do not have to use exactly my 3 ideas. There are plenty of community helpers to choose from.
And I saw items that could be used for most of them at my Dollar Tree, here are a few more ideas to get you going.
Community Helper Ideas
- Police
- Fire
- Teacher
- Doctor
- Garbage collector
- Dentist
- Veterinarian
- Construction
- Grocer
- Librarian
- Mail Carrier
MORE COMMUNITY HELPERS SENSORY BIN IDEAS
In addition to sensory bins, I found these resources.
Get them up and hands busy while they learn new skills with a Put The Fire Out Fine Motor Play activity.
Here is a cute idea for a police car from a paper plate.
Community Helpers Butcher Paper Activities.
Let’s get moving onto the community helpers sensory bin by talking about the basic structure of a sensory bin.
Bins- I like a bin with a lid so they can be put away and stacked.
But you can also use a big shallow tub or even a make a sensory tray instead.
Filler for your sensory bin can be anything that has a unique texture to it-beads, beans, pebbles, cereal, rice, shredded paper, pompoms, water, sand, hay, and so much more.
Themed items/toys- Use small animal or people figures, plastic food, alpha tiles or beads, vehicles, look around the house and see what you have to use in the toybox or kitchen before you buy anything new to build a bin.
A few other fun sensory bins we have made are the Cranberry Sensory Bin, Summer Sensory Bin, and a Nocturnal Animals Sensory Bin.
When I change out my bins and use a new filler I just collect the nonperishable ones and put them in ziploc bags to save for another time.
HOW TO MAKE COMMUNITY HELPERS SENSORY BINS
You will need:
- 3 lidded bins
- Filler
- Small toys
- Alphabet letters
Start your sensory bins by adding in a layer of whatever filler you have chosen for each.
I used shredded paper for the dentist, dog food for the veterinarian (you can use mini dog biscuits or just shredded paper), and small pebbles for construction/city workers.
You only need just enough to cover the bottom.
Next, add in your themed toys, not too many but enough to offer some variety and really show what the theme is.
Then, include some more items that you make yourself like numbers written on cardstock and teeth cut out of felt to count and match.
To make the bins a little more interesting and give them more of a learning nod you can add in some alphabet letters to spell out the words.
Or simply beginning letter sounds for your theme.
You can also add spoons and small cups for scooping and pouring.
When they are not in use you can put the lids back on and stack them on the shelf, changing them as often as needed to fit your theme.
