5 rainy-day sensory bins for under-twos

When it's bucketing down outside, a sensory bin buys you twenty minutes of calm and gives little hands a workout. Five easy ones using what's already in the pantry:

• Cooked, cooled pasta — add a splash of oil and a drop of food colouring. Endlessly squishable.
• Oats and cups — dry rolled oats scoop and pour beautifully (and are safe if tasted).
• Water + sponges — a shallow tub, a few sponges to squeeze. Warm water on a cold day is a winner.
• Frozen fruit rescue — a few berries in a tub of water; fish them out with a spoon.
• Crinkle and fabric basket — tissue paper, a soft cloth, a wooden spoon. Free, zero prep.

Do it in the highchair with a coverall bib and a mat underneath, and clean-up is one shake and a wipe. Supervise closely, especially with anything small enough to mouth.