Christmas packages in pretty paper and bows are among my favorite things during the holidays, although I am terrible at wrapping presents. I always buy way too many rolls of gift wrap and end up with lots of scraps here and there that won’t fit anything. I’ve found the perfect use for those leftover bits of gift wrap and created a really fun Christmas sensory bin or holiday sensory experience for my preschoolers in the process.
Christmas Gift Wrap Sensory Bin
This Christmas sensory play activity is easy to put together and uses materials that you may already have on hand during the holiday season. It’s a wonderful way to reuse gift wrap, boxes, and bows in a way that encourages learning and fun!
Prepare the Christmas Sensory Bin
To put together a Holiday Gift Wrap Sensory Bin, you’ll need:
Check out this research-based, playful learning unit in our curriculum shop!
The Ultimate Pre-K Christmas Activities Bundle
19 of our most popular Christmas theme resources, including math, literacy, and dramatic play! Make learning fun with this hands-on bundle!
- Shallow plastic bin
- Gift bag filler (you can purchase this or just shred some colored paper)
- Bows
- Decorative accents (I used jingle bells and some paper embellishments.)
- Small empty boxes and gift bags
- Safety scissors
- Tape
- Self-stick gift tags
Fill the holiday sensory bin about half full with the gift bag filler or shredded paper. Then put your bows, embellishments, small boxes, and gift bags inside.
Place the labels, tape, and scissors to the side of the bin. I made a small bin for two children to use at the same time.
Explore the Christmas Gift Wrap Bin
Invite the children to explore! The bows were an instant hit – my boys loved holding them and exploring their curves and shapes. This was a great opportunity for us to discuss colors and shapes and to count the loops.
Next they decided to dig into the shredded paper. I encouraged them to check out the gift bags and boxes and wrap their own presents. They loved packing the paper and embellishments into the empty bags and boxes.
Aside from being tons of fun, it helped them to learn about volume and space as they tried to see how much paper they needed to fill their package.
We also had some fine motor practice sticking the gift tags to the boxes and bags.
The pieces of wrapping paper were perfect for scissor practice! I encouraged them to work on their cutting skills and showed them how they could tape the pieces onto the boxes.
We had so much fun playing with this gift wrap bin, and it provided a number of learning opportunities as well. It was inexpensive and easy to put together, and also helped me to encourage a spirit of giving for the holidays.
You can re-purpose this idea through the year for birthdays and other holidays, too!
More Sensory Bin Ideas
- Frog Sensory Bin for Preschool- Do your kids love hands-on sensory activities? Then they’ll love learning about frogs and pond life with this frog sensory bin. This sensory play experience is perfect for a pond theme in your preschool or kindergarten classroom.
- Duck Pond Sensory Bin for Preschool- Your little learners will have so much fun with this duck pond sensory bin! It’s super quick and easy to set up and goes well with a pond theme or unit of study.
- Earth Day Recycling Sensory Bin for Preschool- Are you looking for a sensory bin idea for an Earth Day or recycling theme? This sensory bin will introduce your little learners to the concept of sorting trash from recyclables.
- Valentine’s Day Sensory Bin- Do your little learners enjoy sensory activities? This Valentine’s Day sensory bin is perfect for February in your preschool or pre-k classroom. Add some loose parts and fine motor tools to create a fun and engaging Valentine themed sensory experience your kids will love!
BIO: Laura is a mom to twin boys and the author of Sunny Day Family, where she shares fun activities, home organizing tips, and easy recipes. Connect with her on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter.
Printable Gingerbread House Recipe
You can get access to the free printable gingerbread house sequence cards below. Simply fill out the form and the printable will be emailed to you.
