Featuring our $5 Bugs & Insects in the Garden Sensory Table Printable Kit
Get ready to bring the great outdoors indoors! This week’s theme—“N is for Nature”—encourages little explorers to dig into garden life, discover creepy‑crawlies, and grow their vocabulary through hands‑on sensory play. We’re pairing it with our Bugs & Insects in the Garden Printable Kit to decorate your IKEA Flisat table and spark curiosity.
🛒 What’s in the $5 Bugs & Insects in the Garden Printable Kit
Our garden‑inspired pack includes:
A leafy awning, banner, mini flag, and signs like “Welcome to the Garden” and “N is for Nature”
2–3 themed worksheets: letter N tracing, insect identification match‑up, and garden labeling activity
Illustrated vocabulary cards for common bugs and garden items
Soft greens, browns, and pops of floral color—designed for your Flisat bins!
🧰 Materials You’ll Need
IKEA Flisat table (or any bin setup)
Sensory base: black beans (soil), green rice (grass), or shredded paper
Plastic or wooden bugs, magnifying glass, mini trowels
Faux leaves, flowers, pebbles, sticks
Scoops, tweezers, small pots or cups
Optional: real leaves/sticks from outside for extra texture
🌱 How to Set Up Your Nature Sensory Bin
Decorate your Flisat table with the leafy awning, garden banner, flags, and “N is for Nature” signs.
Fill the bin with your chosen “soil” or “grass” filler.
Scatter faux leaves, flowers, and pebbles to create a garden floor.
Bury or arrange plastic bugs and tools for “bug hunts.”
Place the worksheets and vocabulary cards nearby or laminate and tuck into the bin.
Invite your child to scoop, dig, sort, and explore like a tiny naturalist!
🎯 Learning Objectives by Age Group
6–12 mo: Visual contrast (greens/browns), supervised tactile play
1–2 yrs: Grasping, dumping, and basic naming (“leaf,” “bug”)
2–3 yrs: Sorting by color or type, simple matching
3–4 yrs: Letter N recognition, tracing practice, vocabulary
4–5 yrs: Categorizing living vs. non‑living, garden storytelling
💌 Free Bonus: A to Z Letter of the Week Guide
Don’t forget your Free Printable Letter of the Week Poster! Download the A–Z Letter of the Week Sensory Guide, with all 26 themes, links to products, and learning goals. You’ll also receive the Letter of the Week Email Series, with weekly reminders, bonus activity ideas, and links to new blog content.
🧠 Tips to Extend the Activity
Garden Collage: Collect real leaves and flowers to glue onto paper.
Bug Hotel: Build a mini “hotel” for your plastic bugs using twigs and cardboard.
Leaf Rubbings: Place paper over leaves and rub with crayons to capture textures.
Storytelling: Use the signs to guide a garden adventure narrative.
Science Talk: Discuss habitats—where do the bugs live, eat, and hide?
📚 Related Activities
Forest Animal Track Matching
Flower Petal Color Sorting Mats
DIY Worm Playdough Recipe
🔤 25 Vocabulary Words for “Nature” Theme
nature, garden, soil, plant, leaf, flower, stem, root, bug, insect, butterfly, caterpillar, bee, spider, ant, ladybug, earthworm, magnify, scoop, dig, explore, green, brown, tiny, habitat
📌 Pin It for Later
📍 Save this post to your Nature & Garden Sensory Play or Letter N Activities board!