The Cosmic Sensory Play
Black beans, tiny astronauts, and stars that glow
The Set Up
A low tray or tub on a very low table, or sitting directly on the floor, so even the tiniest artists can reach in. The base is black beans (cheap, gorgeous, make a beautiful sound when they're scooped) with a generous scatter of milky-way coloured rice through them. The contrast of that deep black with pops of colour is what makes this tray look like actual space.
To dye rice, pour plain white rice onto a tray, add some glugs of poster paint, stir until coated, and leave to dry for a few hours. Do a few different colours. Scattered through the black beans, they look exactly like distant stars!
Layer in the space bits. Small plastic astronaut figurines (Kmart, Daiso, or Amazon, usually a few dollars for a pack), glow-in-the-dark plastic stars, spiky rubber balls for sensory texture, marbles including planet-patterned ones if you can find them, small pebbles as asteroids, and brass or copper goblets for pouring and scooping.
A quick note on bouncy balls: we include them for older artists because the weight feels gorgeous in the hand and they roll through the beans in satisfying ways. They're not suitable for children under three, so swap for larger wooden balls or leave them out if you have toddlers in the mix.
The Making
Sensory play doesn't need direction because it's the materials that tell the story. Astronauts get tucked into bean craters, planets get sorted by colour, scoops get filled and emptied and filled again. We had a three-year-old last week who spent twenty-five minutes filling a brass goblet with beans, pouring it into a cup, pouring it back into the goblet, and then tipping the whole thing over the astronaut's head like it was raining asteroids. No narrative, no outcome. Just the entire-body absorption of a really good sensory tray!
The glow-in-the-dark stars are a surprise hit. If you dim the studio or move the tray into a shadier corner for five minutes, they actually glow, and the whole tray takes on a different quality entirely.
Include scoops, small cups, tongs, and tiny baskets for sorting. Refresh the tray mid-week if it starts looking flat. Fluff the beans, rearrange the astronauts, add a few new bits. Five minutes of restyling and it feels brand new.
Variations
Use deep purple and navy dyed rice as the main base for a softer, dreamier take.
If food-based sensory isn't right for your space, black aquarium gravel works beautifully as an alternative base. Heavier than beans, so it stays in the tray more.
Materials
Low tub or tray
Black beans (enough to fill the base generously)
Rainbow coloured rice (dyed with vinegar and food colouring, dried overnight)
Plastic astronaut figurines (Kmart, Daiso, Amazon)
Glow-in-the-dark plastic stars
Spiky rubber sensory balls
Marbles (planet-patterned ones if you can find them)
Small pebbles or aquarium rocks
Brass or copper goblets, tin cups, metal scoops
Large foam or cardboard stars
Tongs, small cups, tiny baskets
Wooden balls (for under-threes, in place of bouncy balls)
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The Cosmic Sensory Play
Black beans, tiny astronauts, and stars that glow
Bookmark
Sensory Play
The Set Up
A low tray or tub on a very low table, or sitting directly on the floor, so even the tiniest artists can reach in. The base is black beans (cheap, gorgeous, make a beautiful sound when they're scooped) with a generous scatter of milky-way coloured rice through them. The contrast of that deep black with pops of colour is what makes this tray look like actual space.
To dye rice, pour plain white rice onto a tray, add some glugs of poster paint, stir until coated, and leave to dry for a few hours. Do a few different colours. Scattered through the black beans, they look exactly like distant stars!
Layer in the space bits. Small plastic astronaut figurines (Kmart, Daiso, or Amazon, usually a few dollars for a pack), glow-in-the-dark plastic stars, spiky rubber balls for sensory texture, marbles including planet-patterned ones if you can find them, small pebbles as asteroids, and brass or copper goblets for pouring and scooping.
A quick note on bouncy balls: we include them for older artists because the weight feels gorgeous in the hand and they roll through the beans in satisfying ways. They're not suitable for children under three, so swap for larger wooden balls or leave them out if you have toddlers in the mix.
The Making
Sensory play doesn't need direction because it's the materials that tell the story. Astronauts get tucked into bean craters, planets get sorted by colour, scoops get filled and emptied and filled again. We had a three-year-old last week who spent twenty-five minutes filling a brass goblet with beans, pouring it into a cup, pouring it back into the goblet, and then tipping the whole thing over the astronaut's head like it was raining asteroids. No narrative, no outcome. Just the entire-body absorption of a really good sensory tray!
The glow-in-the-dark stars are a surprise hit. If you dim the studio or move the tray into a shadier corner for five minutes, they actually glow, and the whole tray takes on a different quality entirely.
Include scoops, small cups, tongs, and tiny baskets for sorting. Refresh the tray mid-week if it starts looking flat. Fluff the beans, rearrange the astronauts, add a few new bits. Five minutes of restyling and it feels brand new.
Variations
Use deep purple and navy dyed rice as the main base for a softer, dreamier take.
If food-based sensory isn't right for your space, black aquarium gravel works beautifully as an alternative base. Heavier than beans, so it stays in the tray more.
Materials
Low tub or tray
Black beans (enough to fill the base generously)
Rainbow coloured rice (dyed with vinegar and food colouring, dried overnight)
Plastic astronaut figurines (Kmart, Daiso, Amazon)
Glow-in-the-dark plastic stars
Spiky rubber sensory balls
Marbles (planet-patterned ones if you can find them)
Small pebbles or aquarium rocks
Brass or copper goblets, tin cups, metal scoops
Large foam or cardboard stars
Tongs, small cups, tiny baskets
Wooden balls (for under-threes, in place of bouncy balls)
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Thoughts?
Would love to hear if youv'e tried this or have any ideas on how to make it even better!
