Bugs are a great small world theme, especially when they look so real! Here's how we made and played with this fun bug tray!
We were kindly gifted the Insects TOOB by Safari Ltd. used in this blog. All opinions and images are our own and completely genuine. This post contains affiliate links.
What you need:
- Insects TOOB by Safari Ltd.
- bug box kit (this one came from The Dollar Tree)
- a play tray or container (our green one comes from Target)
- garbanzo beans and split peas
- pebbles or rocks
- a few nature-themed loose parts like logs and bushes
How it works:
I love setting up small worlds like this one. I simply tipped in some rocks, beans and peas, added the loose parts and insects and that was it. Ready in a matter of minutes!
As soon as my toddler saw the tray she squealed with delight. BUUUUUGS!!! She was so excited to get her hands on all the different types of insects. It's impressive how many different ones you get in the TOOB, and how detailed they are!
Baby sis went straight for the bug net! She didn't waste any time in capturing some critters!
Having tools available really helped her to work those fine motor skills hard!
She also enjoyed being hands on with all of the different textures. She ran her hands through the peas and beans, and stroked every single insect (although she wasn't so sure about the fly!).
She decided to make her own little 'bug house' in her bug box. She carefully chose which materials went in there and transferred them using her tools. Next up she selected the lucky insects to live in her palace.
As she picked up the different insects, I took the opportunity to ask prompt questions such as 'what does the fly feel like' or 'what colors can you see'. There was so much creative conversation happening! The realistic look of the Safari Ltd. insects definitely helped with this.
As you can see from the picture above, this small world was well and truly played with! The sign of a successful sensory tray like this for me is how messed up it is at the end. When materials have not been mixed, or tools have not been touched, I know it wasn't of much interest. That was far from the case here, in fact our bug tray is still going strong after nearly a week!
- bug box kit (this one came from The Dollar Tree)
- a play tray or container (our green one comes from Target)
- garbanzo beans and split peas
- pebbles or rocks
- a few nature-themed loose parts like logs and bushes
How it works:
I love setting up small worlds like this one. I simply tipped in some rocks, beans and peas, added the loose parts and insects and that was it. Ready in a matter of minutes!
As soon as my toddler saw the tray she squealed with delight. BUUUUUGS!!! She was so excited to get her hands on all the different types of insects. It's impressive how many different ones you get in the TOOB, and how detailed they are!
Baby sis went straight for the bug net! She didn't waste any time in capturing some critters!
Having tools available really helped her to work those fine motor skills hard!
She also enjoyed being hands on with all of the different textures. She ran her hands through the peas and beans, and stroked every single insect (although she wasn't so sure about the fly!).
She decided to make her own little 'bug house' in her bug box. She carefully chose which materials went in there and transferred them using her tools. Next up she selected the lucky insects to live in her palace.
As she picked up the different insects, I took the opportunity to ask prompt questions such as 'what does the fly feel like' or 'what colors can you see'. There was so much creative conversation happening! The realistic look of the Safari Ltd. insects definitely helped with this.
As you can see from the picture above, this small world was well and truly played with! The sign of a successful sensory tray like this for me is how messed up it is at the end. When materials have not been mixed, or tools have not been touched, I know it wasn't of much interest. That was far from the case here, in fact our bug tray is still going strong after nearly a week!
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