Looking for a Valentine-themed sensory bin? Look no farther. This one is pretty easy to pull together and you can use it year after year. Children love playing in the water and how much fun is pretty red or pink water?

Valentine Water Sensory Play

I tried a dry sensory bin for Valentine’s Day with shredded paper and some of these items but it just doesn’t get played with like a water sensory table!

Supplies for Valentine Water Sensory Play

• colored water – we used a small amount of red food coloring. No it did not stain their hands.
• glitter, optional – I know some child care or preschool settings are not allowed to use it anymore.
• small heart shaped items – we used table scatter beads from the Dollar Tree
• small cups, containers – kids love to collect items, put a cover on, shake, etc
• foam glitter hearts – also from the Dollar Tree store
• “pokey” balls -I’m not sure what else they are called – they are great for the sensory table!
• heart-shaped containers with lids – from the Dollar Tree
• candy tubes – we had some from the Wilton Candy Stix kits we’ve never used – I don’t think they make them anymore?

Basically, I save everything that *might* be good for a sensory bin or loose materials play! This can be good and bad… you never know what the group may find interesting and how they will use it.

Our Valentine water sensory play tub was a big hit!

I observed:

• pouring
• sharing
• collecting all of one item
• sorting by color – all pink hearts
• shaking
• two older boys observed the bubble moving back and forth in the tube. Identified it as a bubble.
• Problem-solving – little one attempted to remove foam hearts from tube
• observing floating & sinking items
• fine motor skills snapping on covers/removing them again
• and so much more!

More Water Play Ideas

• Moving Water
• Help Yourself Pitcher Pouring Practice
• Easter Egg Sensory Water
• Animal Wash
• Recycled Water Wall
• Waiter, Waiter Dish Wash