Easy Hot Cocoa Sensory Bin with Printable Recipe Cards

Is there anything better than curling up on the couch under your favorite blanket, sipping a nice hot cup of hot cocoa on a cold winter day?  This fun and easy hot cocoa sensory bin certainly comes close! 

Benefits of Sensory Play

Sensory play has SO many benefits!  As a former teacher and now mom to two young girls, I am a huge advocate for sensory play.  

Some of the benefits of sensory play include that it…

• Enhances cognitive development
• Improves fine motor skills
• Supports emotional regulation
• Encourages creativity and imagination 
• Boosts language skills
• Facilitates exploration and curiosity
• Strengthens the parent-child bond

Okay, so now that I’ve sold you on the benefits of sensory play… let’s find out TWO different ways you can make this fun hot cocoa sensory bin at home!

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Materials Needed

When we made this sensory bin at home, we made it with totally edible materials!  Of course, if you’d rather have a more traditional, non-edible sensory bin, you can do that,too. I’ve got ideas for both!

Edible Sensory Bin Materials:

• Cocoa Puffs (or similar) cereal
• Mini marshmallows
• Mini candy canes

Traditional/Non-edible Sensory Bin Materials:

• Pinto beans, brown rice, or strips of brown fabric
• White pom poms or cotton balls
• Plastic candy canes or wrapped peppermint sticks

Tools for the Activity:

• Large bin (this one would work great)
• Measuring cups, spoons, bowls and/or cups
• Printable recipe cards

Setting Up Your Hot Cocoa Sensory Bin

To set this activity up, I filled a large plastic bin about half-way with Cocoa Puffs cereal.  Then I added in a few generous handfuls of mini marshmallows, and 10-20 unwrapped mini candy canes!

If you’re using non-edible materials, just start with your base (pinto beans, rice, or fabric), and then add your other materials – pom poms and plastic candy canes, for example – on top!

I cut out our recipe cards on plain paper, but you might want to consider either using cardstock or laminating them, especially if you’re using them in a classroom center with lots of children!

• Safety reminder: Whichever version of this sensory bin you’re creating (edible or not), some pieces are small and could be a choking hazard for your very littlest learners!  Always use your best judgment when choosing materials, and supervise little ones carefully.

Time to Play!

Now comes the fun part!  I set the recipe cards out next to our sensory bin, and my then-four-year-old Ella was VERY eager to jump right in (after asking to eat a candy cane, of course!).

Ella scooped, poured, followed recipes, and served us hot cocoa.  This sensory bin is SO fun for imaginative play!

 You can extend your child’s learning even more by asking questions as they play!  For example:

• How do the marshmallows feel when you squish them?
• Can you count how many candy canes you’ve added?
• If you add one more candy cane, how many will you have in total?
• Can you fill this cup half-way with cocoa?  How about all the way?
• Can you find something bigger/smaller to scoop the cocoa with?

(Or, you may choose to ask no questions at all!  If your child starts playing independently and you want them to continue – that would be a good time to butt out!  Asking questions may distract your child from their independent play, so if that’s your goal, save the questions for another time.)

More Hot Cocoa Fun

This set of printable recipe cards comes with a delicious homemade hot cocoa recipe! You can make it FOR your child, or if you’re brave, include them in the creation process and make homemade hot cocoa WITH your child!

If you’re a classroom teacher looking to make hot cocoa for a larger group of students, an easy hack is to bring your crockpot to class!  You can pour hot cocoa packets and water right into the crockpot, stir, and set it on low.  It will make delicious hot cocoa for you!  (Just be careful – the cocoa will be HOT!)

Looking for more cocoa-themed crafts and activities?  You’re going to love this Hot Cocoa Countdown to Christmas!

And check out these hot cocoa-themed books:

• Hot Cocoa Calm by Kira Willey
• The Sweet Story of Hot Chocolate by Stephen Krensky
• Do Frogs Drink Hot Chocolate? by Etta Kaner

And for more fun sensory play ideas, be sure to check out this easy fall sensory bin and these Halloween sensory play ideas!

Will you try this fun and easy hot cocoa sensory bin at home or in your classroom?  If you do, I’d LOVE to hear about it!  Comment below or message me on Instagram to tell me about it!