Fossil Sensory Bin: A Visual Discrimination Activity

Calling all future paleontologists! The history museum is looking for more fossils to add to their collection. Are you ready for the job? Dig through this Fossil Sensory Bin and help the museum. Sensory activities like this one are a fun way for kids to use their senses to explore and learn!

Fossil Sensory Bin – A Visual Discrimination Activity:

What is a sensory bin? It is a container or tub filled with material and objects that will stimulate your children’s senses. Sensory bin filler can be any kind of material such as water beads, sand, or shredded paper that kids can explore.

Sensory bins are also a fun, hands-on way to learn other concepts such visual discrimination skills.

When your kids match the photograph to the fossil, they are working on identifying the similarities and differences between the pictures.

By doing this activity, they are developing their visual discrimination skills which are important when learning the ABC’s and practicing letter recognition.

Getting Ready To Use The Fossil Sensory Bin:

What’s Needed:

Fossil Printables

What Else Is Needed:

Container
Sand
Plastic Dinosaur Bones (optional)

To set-up this sensory play activity for your kids, click on the pencil below to download the fossil printables. Next, print the pages on white card stock, laminate, and cut all of the pieces apart.

Next, fill a container with sand. I like to use the dish pan containers because they are deep so the contents won’t spill. My son loves kinetic sand but you can use regular play sand too.

Then, place the fossils in the sand. You can add dinosaur bones and other props too. You can also give your child tools that a paleontologist would use during a dig such as a brush, shovel, and safety glasses.

How To Use The Fossil Sensory Bin:

To add to the fun, you can make-up a story for your kids about how they are paleontologists who have to go a dig to find fossils for the history museum’s new exhibit.

The museum gave your paleontologists photographs of what fossils they need to find during their expedition.

Next, your kids will pick a photograph of a fossil. They will then dig through the sensory bin to find the matching fossil.

This Fossil Sensory Bin is a fun sensory activity and a hands-on way for kids to work on developing their visual discrimination skills.

Pin It For Later:

Do you want to save this visual discrimination activity for later? Pin this to your kids’ activities board on Pinterest and it’ll be here for when you’re ready!