How to make a squirrel nest sensory bin with preschoolers is not only a fun activity but a great time to teach preschoolers about nests, season changes and squirrels. Also, look at my page How to Homeschool Preschool for more ideas.
As the leaves start to change and acorns begin to drop, fall is the perfect time to bring nature indoors.
One of my favorite hands-on activities for this season is a squirrel’s nest sensory bin. For a squirrel-themed bin, you can fill it with items inspired by what squirrels gather and where they live.

And sensory play is a natural fit to make learning meaningful.
Beside you can have conversation with your littles about animal behavior, hibernation, and habitats.
Encourage your child to tell a story about the squirrel. For example, ask your child where does it live and what is it collecting. Adding a small squirrel figurine can inspire play and build narrative skills.
BOOKS ABOUT SQUIRRELS FOR KIDS
16 Books & Resources For Kids Who Love Reading About Squirrels
If your child loves reading about all kinds of squirrels, they’ll love reading these books and add some of these fun resources to your unit study.
The Arctic ground squirrel looks small, harmless and innocent. But this little creature survives some of the most challenging weather conditions that occur on the entire planet. It lives in the Arctic, which is literally on top of the world. In the winter it gets so cold that humans couldn't survive in the open!
The Tale of Squirrel Nutkin is an original classic by Beatrix Potter. Beatrix Potter's famous tale of a naughty squirrel who loses his tail is as popular today as it was when it was first published over 100 years ago. Join Nutkin, his brother Twinkleberry and all his cousins as they make their way over to Owl Island to gather nuts. See what happens when Old Brown, the terrifying owl guardian of the island decides he has had enough of silly Nutkin's cheekiness! Ouch!! Beatrix Potter is regarded as one of the world's best-loved children's authors of all time. From her first book, The Tale of Peter Rabbit, published by Frederick Warne in 1902, she went on to create a series of stories based around animal characters including Mrs. Tiggy-winkle, Benjamin Bunny, Jemima Puddle-duck, Mr. Jeremy Fisher and Tom Kitten. Her humorous, lively tales and beautiful illustrations have become a natural part of childhood. With revenue from the sales of her books, Beatrix Potter bought a farm - Hill Top - in the English Lake District, where she later became a farmer and prize-winning sheep breeder. She launched the now vast merchandise programme by patenting the very first Peter Rabbit doll in 1903.
A young squirrel experiences the wonders of forest life and befriends a human toddler in this collectible edition of a classic animal story from the author of Bambi.Perri is a young squirrel living in Bambi’s forest. She grows up, learning about survival, friendship, and love as she observes and interacts with the complicated world around her. Most exciting of all, she meets a three-year-old human girl who can understand and talk to animals!
Gray squirrels leap from high heights to move from tree to tree. Discover these delightful rodents' life cycle and lifestyle in the woods.
Fun Toys include 8pcs miniature squirrel figurines in different style. With bright color and cute designs. You’ll certainly be impressed by the amazing level of details of these squirrel character figurines
Welcome to a new adventure in the Neck, a beautiful place where animals and humans live together in harmony--most of the time. In this book, a young boy named Eli builds a log fort with his dad, but it's not long before mischievous squirrels Chatter, Whistle, and Squeak move in and take over. As the nuts, acorns, and pinecones pile up inside, Eli realizes he's going to have to get creative to get them out. Will his plan work, or will the squirrels win?
Author and editor of numerous children's books, Thornton W. Burgess was also a noted conservationist. In writing for youngsters he combined a gift for storytelling with his love of the outdoors, creating an entertaining menagerie of animals whose adventures he skillfully recounted in a series of charming fables. In them, he taught young readers about nature and encouraged them to love the "lesser folk in fur and feathers."In this delightfully told tale, Burgess chronicles the escapades of Chatterer the Red Squirrel, who's known throughout the Green Forest as a mischief maker. Narrowly escaping the clutches of Shadow the Weasel and Redtail the Hawk, the bushy-tailed little fellow decides to leave the forest for a new home, only to learn that curiosity, carelessness, and mistrust can lead to a heap of troubles.
It begins, as the best superhero stories do, with a tragic accident that has unexpected consequences. The squirrel never saw the vacuum cleaner coming, but self-described cynic Flora Belle Buckman, who has read every issue of the comic book Terrible Things Can Happen to You!, is the just the right person to step in and save him. What neither can predict is that Ulysses (the squirrel) has been born anew, with powers of strength, flight, and misspelled poetry — and that Flora will be changed too, as she discovers the possibility of hope and the promise of a capacious heart.
How far would you go for a friend? In Nuts to You, the funny and moving illustrated novel by Newbery Medalist Lynne Rae Perkins, two squirrels go very far indeed to save a friend who has been snatched up by a hawk. Nuts to You “begs to be read aloud . . . another completely original and exceptional package from Perkins,” said the Horn Book. Nuts to You features black-and-white art by the author on every page, as well as exclusive material original to this edition.
Jed, TsTs, and Chai are the very best of friends. So when Jed is snatched up by a hawk and carried away to another realm, TsTs and Chai resolve to go after him. Mysteriously, the hawk has dropped him. They saw it. Jed could be alive. New communities are discovered, new friends are made, huge danger is encountered (both man-made and of the fox and bobcat variety) and the mysteries of squirrel culture are revealed. Nuts to You is wholly original, funny, lively, and thought-provoking. Publishers Weekly said, “Readers . . . will relish the squirrels’ adventures, as well as Perkins’s laugh-aloud illustrations and equally witty footnotes.”
Portrays the physical characteristics, behavior, life cycle, and natural habitat of the small mammals.
Miss Suzy is a little gray squirrel who lives happily in her oak-tree home until she is chased away by some mean red squirrels. Poor Miss Suzy is very sad. But soon she finds a beautiful dollhouse and meets a band of brave toy soldiers.
How Miss Suzy and the soldiers help each other makes a gentle, old-fashioned tale that has captured the imaginations of girls and boys alike for more than fifty years. Arnold Lobel’s enchanting pictures are sure to make the kind squirrel and the gallant soldiers the everlasting friends of all who turn these pages.
Here, in a comprehensive and extremely readable volume, the author-artist whose many nature books are favorites with children gives an absorbing account of little animals equipped with chisel-like teeth for gnawing including their habits, appearance, and activities. The world of this army of small mammals is one which most of us could observe for ourselves if we wished to. No one reading these lively chapters about the squirrels, beavers, rabbits, prairie dogs, etc., could ever again take them and their interesting ways for granted.
Children will enjoy this exciting story as Gray Squirrel darts and dashes away from predators while trying to gather up a tasty meal of bird seed and acorns. Reviewed by the Smithsonian Institution for accuracy, Gray Squirrel at Pacific Avenue is a fun and informative story with beautifully detailed illustrations. Watch your children have a blast reading and learning about the animals that live in an American backyard!
Silky plush and soft huggable bodies
Text and illustrations describe the physical characteristics, habits, and natural environment of the red squirrel.
See the world in a whole new way! Acclaimed illustrator Julia Rothman combines art and science in this exciting and educational guide to the structure, function, and personality of the natural world.
Explore the anatomy of a jellyfish, the inside of a volcano, monarch butterfly migration, how sunsets work, and much more. Rothman’s whimsical illustrations are paired with interactive activities that encourage curiosity and inspire you to look more closely at the world all around you.
Next, look at more activities about squirrels.
MORE SQUIRREL ACTIVITIES
- Crafting with Nature: DIY Flying Squirrel Craft You’ll Love
- Dixie Cup Squirrel Craft
- Fascinating Life of Red Squirrels | Paper Plate Squirrel Craft
- Magnetic Squirrel and Acorn Fall Craft
- Free Arctic Ground Squirrel Lapbook & Unit Study Resources

Finally, look at how to make a squirrel nest bin.
HOW TO MAKE A SQUIRREL NEST SENSORY BIN
First, look at this squirrel nest sensory bin.
Supplies:
- Shredded brown paper or paper filler
- Leaves
- Small sticks or twigs
- Acorns
- Pinecones
- Small squirrel figurines or toy squirrels

First, fill the bottom of your sensory bin with shredded brown paper to create a soft, nest-like base.
Add leaves and small sticks to mimic the texture of a real forest floor.
Scatter acorns and pinecones throughout the bin, perfect for squirrels to collect and hide.
Place a few squirrel figurines in the bin to complete the cozy woodland scene.

Invite kids to pretend their squirrels are gathering food for winter.
They can hide acorns under the shredded paper, build tiny nests with leaves and sticks, or sort and count the different natural materials.
Encourage imaginative play and storytelling as children create their own forest adventures.

This sensory bin supports fine motor development as children scoop, grasp, and manipulate small objects. It encourages imaginative thinking, language skills, and hands-on exploration of nature.
The different textures and natural materials also promote sensory engagement, helping kids connect to the sights and feel of the outdoors.