# Fresh Flowers & Colored Sand Sensory Bin
> Fill a bin with colored (or plain) sand, add fresh flower petals, aquarium gravel, a muffin tin and scoops, and let kids scoop, pour and make pretend sand cupcakes. It's a quick, open-ended nature sensory play idea for a warm day.
- URL: https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-quick-play-idea-with-fresh-flowers-and-sand/
- Ages: 3–6 yrs · Difficulty: easy · Mess: high
- Time: prep 10 min, activity 30 min
- Works for: one-on-one, small group, whole class · one batch serves about 2 kids
- Skills: sensory-exploration, fine-motor, pretend-play, nature-exploration
- Cautions: ingestion-risk

## Materials (one batch)
- Colored sand (or regular sand)
- Fresh flower petals
- Colored aquarium gravel
- 1 piece Muffin tin (household)
- 1 piece Sand scoops
- 1 piece Large clear plastic bin
- Grass clippings (optional) (household)

## Substitutions
- Instead of colored sand: Regular sand (The author says regular sand is just as fun to mix with the other elements.)

## Safety
- Aquarium gravel is a choking hazard. Leave it out for children who still mouth objects, and supervise closely.
- Pretend cupcakes only: sand, gravel, petals and grass are not for eating.
- Use petals only from flowers you know are non-toxic and haven't been sprayed with pesticides. Check that grass clippings come from untreated lawns.
- Keep sand away from eyes (no throwing), and wash hands after play.
- Supervise sensory play at all times.

## Before you start
- If you want colored sand, make it ahead using the author's 'colored sand - 3 ways' post (/sensory-activities-make-your-own-colored-sand/).
- Collect fresh flower petals; fallen petals work well.

## Steps
1. Fill a large bin with colored sand or regular sand.
2. Scatter fresh flower petals over the sand.
3. Set out a muffin tin and scoops.
4. Scoop and pour sand into the muffin cups to make sand cupcakes.
5. Add aquarium gravel on top as colorful 'sprinkles'.
6. Decorate a cupcake with petals and serve it to a grown-up (pretend only!).
7. Let play take its own course. Add grass clippings or other nature finds to make a colorful concoction.
8. Keep scooping, mixing and creating with sand, flowers and grass.

## Tips
- You don't have to use colored sand. Regular sand is just as fun to mix up with other elements.
- Flowers were such a fun and fragrant addition. We tried to pick up as many fallen petals as possible.
- It was my 4 year old's idea to add 'sprinkles' to her sand cupcakes, so we added aquarium gravel as colorful toppings.
- This is a good example of how play takes its own course with kids. Ours added grass clippings on their own.
- For an anytime quick play idea, my go-to is a simple sensory activity that's easy to throw together. In this case all I needed was sand and flowers!

## The original post by TurkeyMom (2013)

Sensory activities for kids. Let them enjoy a warm summer day with fresh flowers and colored sand. Today we have another simply quick play idea. You can read our **[previous installments here.](https://www.funlittles.com/category/quick-play-ideas/)** A few days ago we shared a **[colored sand - 3 ways post.](https://www.funlittles.com/sensory-activities-make-your-own-colored-sand/)** That post will show you the method to make scented colored sand. Once we had our colorful sand box ready, it was ready for a fun sensory activity. Sensory activities with sand as a base are so easy to set up. We just added a few of our favorites.

- Sand/Colored Sand
- Fresh flower petals
- Aquarium gravel
- Muffin tins and scoops

 You don't *have* to use colored sand. Regular sand is just as fun to mix up with other elements. I set out a muffin tin along with scoops for the kids to scoop, pour and create.



Flowers were such a fun and fragrant addition to the sensory activity. We tried to pick up the petals which were fallen down as much as possible. It was my 4 year old's idea to add some "sprinkles" to the sand cupcakes she will be making. We added some aquarium gravel as colorful toppings.



Colorful sandy cupcake with sprinkles for mom.



This sensory activity is a good example to show how play takes its on course with kids. The kids went ahead and added a few grass clippings to make a colorful concoction of sand, flowers and grass,



For anytime quick play idea, my go-to is a simple sensory activity which is easy to throw together. In this case, all I needed was sand and flowers!



A warm afternoon well spent playing, laughing and making with an easy to create sensory activity with colored sand.



**Thanks for reading.**

You might like to see another nature play we did recently. [**Mud foot spa anyone?**](https://www.funlittles.com/outdoor-activities-spa-pretend-play/)

[](https://www.funlittles.com/outdoor-activities-spa-pretend-play/)

**Previous installments** [](https://www.funlittles.com/quick-play-idea-with-rainbow-rice/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/quick-play-idea-with-colorful-oobleck/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/fine-motor-activity-for-the-baby-stack-up-towers-quick-play-idea/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/farm-in-your-backyard-quick-play-idea/) [](https://www.funlittles.com/glow-in-the-dark-play-quick-play-idea-in-a-box/)

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