Cranberry Sensory Bin

It’s Thanksgiving week for us and this is a simple activity to throw together for the kids. This is especially great if you are trying to cook or clean to prep for the holiday. It’s easy to set up, easy to clean up, and is a Thanksgiving week tradition at our house that keeps the kids entertained.

Note: fresh cranberries are a choking hazard, so please use your best judgement for children under 2. I let Ellette play with this under direct supervision and she loved it! In previous years I have let my older children play with this more independently and they also love it.

My family uses fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving, so I have them on hand around this time of year. You can pick up a bag at any grocery store this time of year.

Here’s what you need

• Sensory bin filled with water

• Cranberries- 1 bag has worked great for two children in years past, but I probably should have had 2 bags for three children

• Scoops, spoons, bowls, tongs, and sieves

• Towel to keep water off your floor

Set up

1 minute

I love how easy the set up for this activity is. It’s a great introduction to sensory bins if you haven’t tried one yet.

1. Fill the sensory bin up with water. I like to use warmer water as the temps cool off this time of year.

2. Put a towel down to make cleanup even easier. You can also do this in the bathtub or shower if you don’t want water on the floor.

3. Have an assortment of kitchen tools nearby for scooping, sorting, mixing, or draining.

4. Place your cranberries nearby. I placed the cranberries in the water the first year I presented this play opportunity, but it’s been a tradition for a few years now, so the older kids knew what to do with a random bowl filled with cranberries.

Clean up

1-2 minutes

1. Scoop all of the cranberries into a sieve- the kids can help with this part!

2. Let the cranberries dry. You can use them for this activity a second time or use them in baking or cooking. They essentially got really clean from this activity, but I keep those baked goods at home just to be safe.

3. Dump out the water and wipe up the floor.

I’m not sure why this activity is so mesmerizing, but it’s been a winner every single time over the last 3 years. I’m talking 30-60 minutes of intent play and “can we please play with this again tomorrow?” status.

Maybe it’s because we don’t eat plain cranberries, so this is a novel sensory bin filler. Maybe it’s extra fun because the cranberries float! It could be that the warm water and repetitive scooping, pouring, and draining is soothing. Whatever the reason, you are going to want to try this.

This activity is great for a mixed age group, which would be perfect if you wanted an easy way to occupy kids on Thanksgiving morning. I made one bin available this time, but you could easily fill up extra bowls or buckets to make this accessible to more children.

All of the kids played differently and it was really neat to slow down and observe them. Brinley is 5 and was interested in “baking” with 1 cup of pretend flour, 1/2 cup of pretend sugar, etc. Vaila is 3 and was fascinated with the water straining through the sieve while the cranberries stayed put. I’m not exaggerating when I say she scooped, poured, and strained for 45 minutes straight. Ellette is 14 months old and loved splashing in the water and transferring the cranberries into a bowl one by one.

The small scall of the cranberries makes this a wonderful fine motor activity with tongs, scoops, or hands. Ellette broke a few cranberries open (which is a wonderful lesson on its own) and I had to watch her very carefully to be sure they didn’t go in her mouth, but for the most part this material doesn’t get used up. This helps with the longevity of play because the adult doesn’t have to interrupt to refill or refresh and the kids can get into a flow state.

When the kids are done, simply collect all of the cranberries into one of the strainers you already have out. Ellette helped with a few, but the older girls got this task done pretty quickly. We have been working on cleaning up after ourselves recently, and as with most things in parenting, it is challenging to know if you are being successful in the moment.

I’m catching more and more glimpses of the older kids cleaning up without me having to ask and they are getting better about picking up toys when I do ask. Please do not interpret this to mean they are perfect in this arena. They are getting better as long as they aren’t hungry, tired, or otherwise irritable. Practice is helping and it does feel nice to know that they can contribute in a meaningful way to the tidiness of our home. It is still a work in progress and I’m sure will take years, or maybe even decades, for it to fully sink in.

So now I have to ask- are you team cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving dinner? My family makes a relish using fresh cranberries, oranges, apples, and sugar. I love it and the kids have enjoyed it the past few years. I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had canned cranberries.

My hope is this activity brings you a moment of peace as we gear up for a day that can be hectic. Maybe I’m getting more nostalgic as I have more children or as I get older, but there is something to be said for these small traditions we are establishing with the kids. I know this isn’t a lifelong tradition and I won’t have 17 year olds playing with a sensory bin, but it warms my heart to remember the last few years of this specific activity.

I appreciate every share, so send this post to a friend who could use a few minutes of calm as we head into the holiday season.

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