# Pond Life Sensory Bin
> Fill a flat storage bin with green water beads, then let kids build a pond small world with foam lily pads, plastic plants and pond animals, using plastic eggs as scoops. It works as sensory play for little ones and storytelling small world play for preschoolers.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-pond-life-sensory-play/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: medium
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: sensory-exploration, imaginative-play, storytelling, fine-motor, animal-habitats
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Water beads (green/aqua 'Ocean Breeze' color)
- 1 piece Flat plastic storage container (under-the-bed type)
- Green foam sheets
- Pond creature figures (frogs, fish, water birds)
- Plastic plants
- Artificial flowers (optional)
- Plastic eggs
- 1 piece Frog life cycle figure set (optional)
- Printed pictures of pond animals and water birds (optional) (household)
- Small containers or baskets for the self-serve station (household)
- 1 piece Scissors (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of water beads: Edible "water" beads (see the author's separate edible water beads post) (The author's suggested alternative for kids who still put things in their mouths. Taste-safe, not a snack. Still supervise closely.)

## Safety
- Water beads cannot be eaten. Use this activity ONLY with children who no longer put objects in their mouths, and only with an adult supervising the whole time.
- Swallowed water beads can keep swelling and cause choking or a serious blockage. Keep them away from mouths, noses and ears. If a child swallows one, get medical help right away.
- Spilling and tossing will happen, so sweep up stray beads straight after play. They are slippery underfoot and can be found later by younger siblings or pets.
- Store dry and hydrated water beads out of children's reach.
- Toy animals, plastic eggs and flowers can be small parts. Supervise younger children closely.

## Before you start
- Hydrate the water beads in water ahead of time so they are ready to dump into the bin (follow the package directions).
- Cut lily pads from green foam sheets.
- Optional: print pictures of animals and water birds that live in and around ponds.

## Steps
1. Set the materials out in containers next to a good-sized sensory bin to make a self-serve station.
2. Look at the printed pond animals together and pick matching animals from your toy stash.
3. Dump the water beads into the sensory bin.
4. Add the plastic plants and the foam lily pads for the frogs.
5. Put in all the pond animals, flowers and plastic eggs.
6. Scoop up water beads with a plastic egg and pour them over the animals to make it rain.
7. Make up stories about the pond animals and play.
8. Adult: collect every stray water bead from the table and floor when play is over.

## Tips
- I love when the child participates in the set-up process. I believe that is just as important as the play.
- If interest in an activity has been lukewarm, creating an attractive 'invitation to play' is the best way to go.
- Use a good-sized sensory tub if a toddler is joining in, because spilling and tossing is mandatory!
- A flat under-the-bed box keeps the entire contents in one place, and you can swap out the bins every once in a while.
- Plastic eggs make great scoops, especially for toddlers. Ours used them to make it rain on the animals.
- It works for two age groups at once: a sensory activity for a toddler, and story lines and small world play for a preschooler.
- Don't worry about technical discrepancies, like saltwater fish in a pond. You're driving home the general idea.
- Playing with water beads is a fantastic sensory experience, and it is very calming.

## FAQ
**What are water beads and where do you buy them?** They are decorative crystal polymer beads sold for plants and flowers. They absorb over 100 times their weight in water to form glass-like pearls. The post links Ocean Breeze water beads. They can't be eaten, so use them only with kids who no longer mouth things and with an adult present.

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2020)

**Sensory activities** which also function as small world play are great kids activities and fantastic boredom busters. This pond sensory bin which can also double up as a frog sensory bin is a great way to introduce your kids to frog life cycle. We have created a [**Savannah**](https://www.funlittles.com/earth-day-activities-sandbox-savannah/) scene, a box [**rainforest**](https://www.funlittles.com/small-world-play-rainforest-box/), , [**paper plate ocean**](https://www.funlittles.com/crafts-kids-ocean-craft/), a [**desert**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-desert-sensory-bin/) and more to come. I love it even more because they work perfectly when I need an activity which will work for 2 different age groups. Toddlers love [**sensory activities**](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-for-kids/) and preschoolers whose imagination are taking off in full speed will adore creating their play scenes. Please engage in the following kids activity ONLY if the children no longer put foreign objects in their mouths AND an adult is around to supervise. Water beads cannot be consumed! Here is another alternative - our edible "water" beads. [****](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-edible-water-beads/) **Suggested Materials**

- [**Ocean Breeze Water Beads**](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07GT3YPMN/?tag=blmemo-20)
- **[Foam Sheets](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07FZPJ18V/?tag=blmemo-20)** for lily pads
- **[Relevant pond creatures](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B009435MXO/?tag=blmemo-20)**
- Flowers (optional)
- Plastic plants
- **[Plastic Storage Container](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FP13PZQ/?tag=blmemo-20)**

They are wonderful sensory play materials for kids who no longer put things in their mouth! I realize that when it comes to wildlife play my 4-year-old pretty picky. She has a bunch of ideas on the play scene set up. Whenever we have sensory activities or small world activities planned out, I set up a self-serve sensory bin creating station. This is just simply the materials needed set out in containers along with a good-sized sensory tub and the operative word being "good-sized". That's because a toddler will also be joining in on the fun and you all what that means spilling and tossing is mandatory!t Coming back to the self-serve station. I always have a flat Sterlite type flat/under the bed box that I use as a sensory bin ( link at the end) It serves me well to keep the entire contents in one place and we swap out the bins every once in a while.

**Here is our very simple sensory bin/small world creation station.**  My 4-year-old was even involved in the animals selection process. **We just printed out animals and water birds that live in and around ponds and picked out our animals from our stash.** I love when the child participates in the kids activity set up process since I believe that is just as important. Of course this works only if the child co-operates and is very much interested in the activity. On the other hand if you are trying to get the child interested in a different activity where the interest has been lukewarm creating an attractive "invitation to play" is the best way to go. Since we are talking animals, I know I got her attention from the get-go. (Update: The frog life cycle animal set will be a great addition to the sensory bin) The first step in this sensory activity was the best. Dump the water beads in the sensory bin.



Then they created their pond life small world. The plastic plants from our old fish tank went in, along with foam lily pads for the frogs and then in went all our pond life.



I had also set out a few **[plastic eggs](https://www.funlittles.com/easter-activities-for-intentional-learning/)** to function as scoops. Those were great for exploring the "pond", especially for my toddler. She used them to create rain. She would scoop up some water beads and pour them on the animals and say " It's raining, it's raining.." You see small world play and sensory activities go hand in hand. The kids **loved** the water beads pond.



While it was a sensory activity for my toddler, it was all about creating story lines and small world play for my preschooler. Our sensory activities always turn into small world play and vice versa.



If interested you can clearly turn this small world play into a learning opportunity. Possible topics : life cycle of a frog, animal facts, pond as a wildlife habitat, animal diet. We didn't do any because the kids were too giddy with their multiple story lines about bird-eating frogs!

Note: I'm aware of the many technical discrepancies in the pond life ( saltwater fish for example)..But we are driving home the general idea.

Thanks for reading

Click for all our spring activities for kids

**We have shared many small world play ideas. Click on the images to go to the full posts.** [](https://www.funlittles.com/earth-day-activities-sandbox-savannah/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/easter-activies-bunny-small-world/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-green-goo-and-dinosaur-world/)

[](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-desert-sensory-bin/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/small-world-play-rainforest-box/) **[](https://www.funlittles.com/winter-activities-for-kids-fantasy-winter-world/)**