One Toy – 10 [or more] Ways Spotlight on: Sensory bin – dinosaur

What is the Sensory Bin – dinosaur?

The Dinosaur Discovery Sensory Bin Set provides an interactive and tactile experience with magic sand, mini dinosaur figures, stones, dinosaur moulds, plastic plants, volcanoes, plastic eggs, foam balls, a dinosaur bone, and a magnifier. These components allow for creating a miniature prehistoric landscape, promoting fine motor skills, sensory exploration, and creativity. The set encourages imaginative play and hands-on learning, blending fun with educational value through sensory-rich activities.

Speech Pathology Goals

1. Builds Vocabulary:
   The sensory bin introduces a range of vocabulary words, including objects like “dinosaur,” “volcano,” and “egg,” as well as descriptive words related to texture and shape. Using these terms in context during play helps reinforce vocabulary learning and understanding of specific language concepts.
2. Encourages Descriptive Language:
   Exploring the different textures, shapes, and colours within the bin provides an opportunity for practicing descriptive language. Children can use words like “smooth,” “bumpy,” or “soft” to describe objects, enhancing their ability to express observations and describe characteristics.
3. Promotes Imaginative Play:
   The dinosaur theme encourages children to engage in role-playing and storytelling, creating unique scenarios where they can assign roles to dinosaurs and imagine events in their prehistoric world. This imaginative play strengthens narrative skills and fosters creativity in language use.
4. Develops Requesting Skills:
   Playing with the sensory bin provides opportunities for children to make requests, such as “Can I have the volcano?” or “I need the egg.” Practicing these requests builds functional language skills for expressing wants and needs in social interactions.
5. Supports Following Directions:
   The bin can be used to practice listening and following simple instructions, such as “Bury the dinosaur in the sand” or “Place the egg by the volcano.” This strengthens auditory processing and comprehension, which are essential skills for following instructions in various settings.
6. Enhances Sequencing Skills:
   Using the objects in the bin to create a sequence of events, like “First, we hide the dinosaur, then we add the volcano,” helps children understand and narrate order. Sequencing is a foundational skill for storytelling and conversation, where events need to be organized logically.
7. Strengthens Question-Answering Skills:
   Answering questions about the objects, such as “Where is the dinosaur?” or “What does the rock feel like?” helps children practice comprehension and expression. Responding to questions supports both understanding and use of language in a back-and-forth exchange.
8. Promotes Joint Attention:
   Exploring the bin together encourages children to focus on the same object or activity as someone else, fostering joint attention. Joint attention is a key skill for social interaction, as it builds the ability to share focus and engage in shared experiences with others.

Occupational Therapy Specific Goals

1. Develops Fine Motor Skills:
   The small items in the bin, like mini dinosaurs and rocks, allow for grasping, pinching, and scooping movements that strengthen finger and hand muscles. These fine motor skills are essential for tasks requiring precision, like drawing, buttoning, and feeding.
2. Improves Hand-Eye Coordination:
   Activities like picking up and placing objects in specific spots within the bin require coordination between what is seen and how the hands move. Practicing this visual-motor skill builds accuracy and control, which are important for activities like writing and assembling.
3. Promotes Bilateral Coordination:
   Using both hands together to perform tasks, such as scooping sand with one hand while holding an object steady with the other, enhances bilateral coordination. This skill is crucial for complex actions like dressing, cutting with scissors, and handling larger toys or objects.
4. Encourages Sensory Exploration:
   The bin’s various textures, like sand, rocks, and plastic dinosaurs, offer a tactile sensory experience, allowing for exploration and sensory processing. This engagement with different textures can help children become more comfortable with sensory input, which supports sensory integration.
5. Strengthens Grasp Patterns:
   Using different grasp patterns, such as a pincer grip for small items or a full-hand grasp for larger objects, helps develop control and dexterity. These varied grips support skills needed for everyday tasks, such as holding utensils, crayons, and smaller objects.
6. Enhances Problem-Solving Skills:
   The sensory bin encourages children to figure out how to organize or interact with the different items, building their problem-solving and critical thinking skills. For example, they may figure out how to bury objects or use the sand to create specific scenes, enhancing cognitive development.
7. Supports Visual Perceptual Skills:
   Locating specific items within the bin, identifying differences between shapes and sizes, and recognizing patterns promote visual perceptual skills, like discrimination and spatial awareness. These skills are foundational for reading, drawing, and navigating spaces.
8. Increases Attention and Focus:
   Engaging with the sensory bin encourages sustained attention to the task at hand, as children become engrossed in exploring and interacting with the items. This skill is beneficial for building persistence, detail orientation, and focus, which are valuable in both play and structured activities.

The versatility of a toy is a powerful tool in a child’s development. When a single item can be used in multiple ways, it opens the door to creative play, adaptability, and targeted skill-building. A well-chosen toy can support growth in a range of areas, all through varied and engaging interactions. By understanding how to use toys in new and imaginative ways, both parents and therapists can enrich a child’s learning journey, making each play experience both meaningful and fun.

Where can I buy the Sensory Bin – Dinosaur?

Kmart

Dinosaur Discovery Sensory Bin Set – Assorted

Target

Dinosaur Discovery Sensory Bin Set, Assorted – Anko

Big W

Kinetic Sand Dino Sandwhirlz Case