If you’re looking for a simple sensory bin that encourages conversations about Purim and practices some math skills, this Find and Count Queen Esther’s Gems Sensory Bin is for you!
We love including sensory invitations for all kinds of themes so of course it makes sense to add one (just kidding, we did multiple this year!) for Purim too! This sensory bin focuses on Queen Esther so it would make sense to read some of the great Purim books that highlight her (spoiler alert: there’s a ton since she’s a main character of the Purim story!). But it also naturally leads to conversation about the story of Purim and further exploration of the holiday. Have fun!
What You’ll Need
- Sensory Bin
- Sensory filler of your choice (This may sound weird, but one of our favorite sensory fillers is Hamster/Bunny Cage Liners. We bought it one year for my daughter’s hamster-themed birthday party and the bag was so big that we used it for the party and also have leftovers for lots of sensory play. It’s soft crumpled paper so has a pleasant and inviting tactile feel perfect for sensory feedback and play!)
- Esther’s Gems. We used the DIY Esther’s Gems that we created earlier in the week. But you can use play jewels or gems, colored glass vase fillers that are easy to find at Dollar Tree … so many options!
- Ten Frame (optional)
- Number prompt cards from our Purim Activities Packet for Early Learners (optional)
Putting It Together
- Scatter your gems of choice on the bottom of the sensory bin.
- Cover with your sensory filler of choice.
- Invite your child to search and count the gems.
- If you want to supplement with some prompts, we used our Purim Number Cards found in our Purim Activities for Early Learners Packet. We also used a ten frame so that it is easier to sort the manipulatives and visually count them but neither of these are necessary.
Finished & Loving It!
My first grader had so much fun with this Find and Count Queen Esther’s Gems Sensory Bin! It was not the first time we’ve used the Purim number cards and ten frame for a Purim activity so he knew just what to do and dug in.
It was really special to use the gems he and his siblings had made earlier in the week. But any type of play jewel would work well for a manipulative. These manipulatives really help visually practice counting. Setting them into a ten frame also helps.
We even upped our normal one to one correspondence counting practice to add some addition math facts! Just grab two of the Purim Number Cards (if using a ten frame, make sure they add up to 10 or less) and invite your child to gather the corresponding number of gems and to complete the math fact. Fun + math = awesomeness!
I really love when we can combine some age appropriate academic practices into our holiday exploration because it feels like both learnings are enhanced and all result in fun and meaningful play and learning!
Chag Purim Sameach!
We have a whole page dedicated to Purim, our Purim Hub. Check it out! It includes some of the Purim activities we plan to do this year, as well as the activities we’ve done in previous years.
And don’t forget our Purim Montessori-Style 3 Part Cards, a wonderful way to introduce Purim! And, now we also have all 13 Jewish holidays bundled together in A Year of Jewish Holidays 3 Part Cards.
If you want to have a ton of Purim early learner activities ready at your fingertips, try our Purim Activities Packet for Early Learners! I am so excited about all the Purim-themed literacy, fine motor skills, math, and play fun!
The following sites are amazing resources for learning more about this holiday:
Chag Sameach!
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