Your Therapy Source Magazine for Pediatric Therapists April 2016 | Page 17

Garbanzo Beans Sensory Bin

Today we made a garbanzo bean sensory bin. We purchased some dried garbanzo
beans, also known as chickpeas, at the grocery store. Follow these steps to color the
beans:
1. Pour the bag of beans into a plastic bag.
2. Add 2 dashes of rubbing alcohol (I am too lazy to measure but if you wanted to
measure it is about 2 tsp) and lots of squeezes of food coloring.
3. Shake, shake and shake the bag some more to coat the beans.
4. Pour the beans out onto newspaper to dry.
5. Allow about 15 minutes to dry.
Once dry, the children can explore the sensory bin. The garbanzo beans provide some
heavier input in a sensory bin compared to rice or regular dried beans. The bumpy texture
provides a different type of tactile input as well.
This sensory bin is only for children who will not put small objects in their mouth.
Garbanzo beans are small and solid so avoid with young children.
What is your favorite material for a sensory bin?

Sensory Mini Books and Charts: This electronic book includes 7 sensory mini books, 7
sensory charts, 7 sensory four square strips and over 100 picture word cards. The mini
book titles include: TOUCH, MOVE, ATTENTION, CALMING DOWN, EAT, SMELL and

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