Alphabet Sensory Bin for Letter Recognition and Beginning Sounds

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If there is one center that never gets old, it is a sensory bin. Kids love digging, scooping and finding treasures, and when the treasure is a letter, they are practicing letters and sounds without even noticing.

My most reluctant letter learners would happily dig for letters for 15 minutes straight.

What you need

• A bin with a lid
• A filler like dry rice, beans or colored pasta
• Magnetic letters
• Scoops, tongs or a small shovel
• The Match Letter to Picture Cards: 26 alphabet cards, 4 by 4 inches, each with a letter and a matching picture

The bins, fillers and scoops I use are in the Sensory Table and Tuff Tray Fillers list in my Amazon shop.

How to set it up

1. Pour the filler into the bin and bury the magnetic letters.
2. Lay the picture cards next to the bin or on a cookie sheet.
3. Students dig for a letter, say its name and sound, then place it on the matching card.
4. Start with just the letters you have taught, and add more as the year goes on.

"SUPER CUTE activities that the students love to use especially at the beginning of the year!" (TPT review)

Make it fit your students

• Just starting out? Use only 4 to 6 letters at a time.
• Ready for more? Have students name another word that starts with the same sound.
• Working on fine motor? Use tongs instead of fingers to pick up the letters.
• Change the filler with the seasons: colored rice in fall, cotton balls in winter, dried beans in spring.

Safety note: always supervise sensory play, and choose a filler that is safe for your group.

Want more beginning sounds practice? Read about my Beginning Sounds Sort Mats.

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Get the Match Letter to Picture Cards on TPT

Made by a teacher who's been right where you are.

Jessica Ann Stanford, Teachers Follow Teachers