This has been a post in the making, nearly 90 sensory bin play ideas for your Ikea Flisat table to try with you kids. Spanning a range of holidays, themes, and seasons it’s one giant post to reference back to time and time again!
We snagged our sensory table in September on a completely random day I popped into Ikea. I had settled on never finding one and went in for a completely different reason and there it was – i brought it home and water proofed it, shown here, and then started the daily play.
We already had a play table at home, and we live in a cozy cape style cottage and I was hesitant about having another play table in the house, but it was worth every penny- we play here every single day!
For reference my son is 3.5 years old. Please adjust play according to child’s age and always directly supervise. Below you’ll find our favorite ideas so far, have fun and give me a shout out on Instagram or Tik Tok @livethescottcottage if you give one of them a try!
Spring Fine Motor Flower Vase Ikea Flisat Insert
Have wilting flowers? Make this super easy posting board your little one will love!
Q loved poking the flowers in and picking them back out. It was great work on hand eye coordination and problem solving as all the holes were different sizes.
Plant-a-flower Sensory Bin
This was an instant favorite, all with dollar store items, here’s everything that’s included!
How fun are these dollar store flowers. I picked up a few bouquets and took the flowers off, placed the flowers in one bin and the leaves in another. Then i ground up some stale cereal and made dirt – he played here for an hour!
Spring Caterpillar Pom Pom Push Ikea Flisat Insert
This insert was so easy to make! Just painted on caterpillars and cut out some holes to push pom poms into! Count while playing and call out the colors they’re pushing through. Great for fine motor skills.
Rainbow Butterflies Sensory Play
Can’t go wrong with this rainbow pasta and these green chickpeas. Check out other ideas here for “grass” in your bins!
Buzzing Bee Hive Count Ikea Flisat Insert
Here’s how i made this hive. I turned it from an activity into a flisat insert!
I paired with air dry clay bees I made and Q loved it.
Easter Color Match
One of the easiest inserts to make with a $1 egg cup pack from the dollar store. Here’s how you make it.
I paired with easter grass from Target and eggs from the dollar store.
Name Recognition Play
I did this with a St. Patrick’s Day twist – you can do with cups instead of the cauldrons!
Use packing tape to wipe dry erase letters clean. This is also a great counting activity.
St. Patrick’s Day Fine Motor Truck Ikea Flisat Play
We snagged this truck at the dollar store and painted it together. I paired with these picks from hobby lobby and Q loved filling the truck with clovers.
Fill The Pot Sensory Play
One of the easiest inserts to make with $1 Cauldrons from the dollar store! We paired with pluffle and Q loved filling and pouring into the pots.
Easy St. Patrick’s Day DIY Sensory Play Insert
Here’s how i made this one! All items from dollar tree. Paired with my hand painted pasta and gold coins this is a perfect pouring activity.
Shamrock Pour Play
I see these decorations at the dollar store all the time and never know what to do with them so I decided to turn into an insert! Paired with vase filler from hobby lobby and pasta from my shop was so easy!
Coin Drop and Count Early Math Sensory Bin
This is going down as a favorite. I picked up this sign from the dollar store and used a very sharp box cutter to cut into it to make a slot. I colored a rainbow onto paper covering cardboard and made this coin drop.
With packing tape I would write on the amount of coins for Q to count into the pot of gold!
Green Sensory Play
Nothing beats a mixed media bin for Q – he always loves the textures and this to him became a whole “cooking: set up – mixed bins are perfect for imaginative play.
Taste Safe Beach Sensory Play
Ready for our daily go to? Here’s how we made it. Could you guess the foam is from chickpea liquid?
We like to pair this with out toob animals!
Shell Sensory Play
Play dough, sand and shells this just screams the summer ( and we cannot wait! ). More beach ideas here!
Hot Chocolate Sensory Idea
Okay this was another favorite.
We used merengues from Trader Joes, crushed up cookies, and my dyed pasta and these cups are from the dollar store. So easy and fun!
Dollar Store Sensory Bin
Just a constant reminder sensory play doesn’t have to be expensive! Grab some kitchen tools from the dollar store or your kitchen, set out with rice and have fun!
Valentine’s Day Fine Motor Truck Sensory Bin
Here’s another DIY insert using a dollar store truck we painted together. How fun is this road tape too!
Heart picks were from hobby lobby.
Dyed Rice Sensory Play
Rice was one of the first sensory materials we played with when Q was 17 months old. I remember taking to the internet and not knowing where to start. So after trial and error this is my favorite way.
DIY Window Cling Board Ikea Flisat Insert
Cover a piece of cardboard in paper, then cover with packing tape. A fun new way to use window clings!
DIY Cupcake Sensory Bin
Have your tried Pluffle? It’s the coolest texture! Here’s how this bin came together.
Foam Hearts Ikea Flisat Sensory Bin
How fun is this filler I found at Michaels! I tossed in some ducks, vase filler, rice, and that’s it! A set up like this took just a few minutes.
Frozen Sensory Play
We froze some pasta we had played with and Q had so much fun unfreezing it. This was wonderful messy play.
Taste Safe Water Beads Sensory Bin
These will always go down as a win in our house. We haven’t used real water beads since! I got a bit tired of chasing them all over the house!
Dyed Chickpeas Sensory Bin
Here’s how you dye them. Quickly use cookie cutters to make a design and have fun!
DIY Salt Dough Loose Parts
We love salt dough! The pieces are always super sturdy and we can paint them together.
Pasta & Play Dough Sensory Play
This was my valentine’s day pasta kit from my etsy shop. One of Q’s favorite ways to play with pasta is sticking it into play dough.
Taste Safe Construction Site Sensory Bin
Here’s an easy one! Just grind up some cereal and leave some whole. Q played with this one for days!
Frozen Snow Play Sensory Bin
My mom hack is freeze everything! Done with play? Add water and freeze into something fun! We love baking moulds.
Scratch Off Letter Sensory Play
I was excited to find scratch off stickers at the dollar store! I used them in this learning through play insert I made.
Ice Cream Play Dough Sensory Bin
This recipe i created is my favorite ever. A must try!
Necklace Making Sensory Bin
Hand painted pasta and string make for the most fun fine motor play!
Red Mixed Media Sensory Bin
Have your little one make this with you adding any materials they’d like!
Younger Toddler Sensory Bin
Have a younger toddler? My favorite bin filler is cut up pool noodles.
Painted Pasta Sensory Bin
It’s no secret how much we love including pasta in play. Here’s how you can dye it yourself.
DIY Love Ikea Flisat Insert
Adorable felt envelopes and an easy insert? That simple!
Petal Rice Sensory Bin
One of my favorite ways to use wilting flowers is to turn it into petal rice. Here’s how to make it.
Pirate Play Sensory Bin
Does your little one love pirates? We do pirate play for every theme. This was white sand on one side and blue pasta from my shop on the other.
Soup Sensory Bin
Q could make soup every single day.
DIY Corn Kernels Sensory Bin
Another easy recipe to make your own filler!
DIY Matching Ikea Flisat Insert
Q loves puzzles and here’s how to make your own with a gift bag.
Party Play Sensory Bin
They’ll love this one, trust me!
Hanukkah Sensory Bin
Pasta and loose parts make for such fun open ended play.
Fine Motor Christmas Tree Ikea Flisat Insert
Snagged bulb necklaces at dollar store and made them into a fine motor activity!
Decorate A Tree Ikea Flisat Insert
We love loose parts and pluffle, paired with a tree painted onto cardboard for easy christmas sensory play.
Chickpea Trees Sensory Play
Chickpeas are one of Qs favorite sensory fillers – they’re something so fun about the texture of them!
Pasta Light Patterns Sensory Bin
I dyed this rainbow pasta and we practiced patterns by sticking into play dough.
Christmas Chickpeas Sensory Bin
- painted chickpeas
- pasta
- scoops
Light Bulb Fill Sensory Bin
These bulbs from the dollar store were a hit all season long.
- painted pasta
- large bulbs
Beans Sensory Bin
- various beans
- various bowls
- candy cane scoops
Christmas Soup Sensory Bin
Use dyed rice to color the water!
Winter Play Sensory Bin
Easy as
- dyed chickpeas
- dyed pasta
- wood loose parts from the dollar store
DIY Snow Sensory Bin
This is my snow recipe! such a fun way to make it and it’s taste safe.
Counting Ikea Flisat Insert
Loose parts and cardboard, that easy!
Pumpkin Science Sensory Bin
Cut open some pumpkins and add baking soda and have your little one pour in vinegar.
Science kit Pool Noodle Apples Sensory Bin Cut up pool Halloween Sensory Bin Apple Tree Sensory Bin Fine Motor Tree Ikea Flisat Insert Sunflower Poke Ikea Flisat Insert Feed the Bear Ikea Flisat Insert Feeding animals is always a win. Stuffed animals can be a filler too! Fall Chickpeas Sensory Bin Ombre chickpeas and loose parts- can’t go wrong with that! Halloween Pasta Sensory Bin This was my halloween pasta kit! It sold out so quickly and I’ve loved seeing parents all over the country play with it. I love to set out pasta with some loose parts. DIY Fall Insert Sensory Bin Mom hack – use cookie cutters to trace shapes to cut out ! Fall Little Blue Truck Sensory Bin Here’s the fall version of my famous truck fine motor play! Fall Corn Counting with Play Dough Sensory Bin This is amazing for fine motor skills. Have your little one push corn kernels into the play dough corns that correspond to the numbers! Fall Farm Sensory Bin I will always love fall sensory play the most- a blend of dyed pasta and cute farm details make for the most fun play. These little apples I hand painted from dollar tree! Fall Leaves Sensory Bin I dyed a variety of shapes of pasta to make some “fall leaves” we used these all season long! Fall Pasta and Play Dough Sensory Bin This was my fall pasta kit that sold out in minutes! Paired with play dough is always a good idea! Spooky Halloween Sensory Bin I loved these bright details from Target bullseye spot so much I dyed pasta to match them! Mummy Fingers Sensory Bin How fun are these fingers from the dollar spot? I tossed in with some painted pasta and covered with spider webs and we counted each set of monster fingers we found. Grave Dig Sensory Bin Here’s how this one came together! Acorn Soup Sensory Bin We went to a bbq at my friends house and i left with a trash bag full of acorns- they have an insane amount in their backyard- I cleaned them when I got home and we used them to make acorn soup. Candy Corn Sensory Bin Air dry clay candy corn paird with real candy corn, painted pasta, and black beans. Farm Play Sensory Bin Sugar Skull Sensory Bin Using my best selling rainbow pasta kit we pushed pasta into air dry clay to make faces! 
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