Color Sorting Apple Sensory Bin

If you’re looking for a hands-on way to bring fall fun into your lessons, an apple sensory bin is the perfect place to start. Kids love scooping, pouring, and sorting, and with just a few supplies you can turn that curiosity into a meaningful learning experience. This activity works beautifully alongside an apple preschool theme, giving little ones the chance to explore colors, textures, and early math skills all in one simple setup.

What I love about sensory bins is how adaptable they are—you don’t need fancy materials or a huge amount of prep. Just a bin, some split peas, and a handful of pom poms turn into hours of play and learning. Ready to see how easy it is to create your own color sorting apple bin at home?

What is an Apple Sensory Bin?

A sensory bin is simply a container filled with materials that invite kids to explore through touch, sight, and sometimes even sound or smell. These apple sensory bins give children a safe way to pour, scoop, sift, and sort, building crucial early learning skills while they play.

An apple theme sensory bin takes that idea and adds a seasonal twist. Using red, yellow, and green pom poms as “apples,” kids can practice sorting by color, counting, and comparing quantities. The green split pea base adds a grassy texture that makes the whole activity feel fresh and engaging, especially during fall lessons.

After years of teaching preschool at home and in the classroom, I’ve seen how quickly children light up when they get to learn with their hands. Apple-themed sensory play combines the comfort of a familiar fruit with the joy of discovery—making it a perfect fit for both homeschool and classroom settings.

Looking for more seasonal sensory activities? Try my pumpkin emotions sensory bin and build-a-scarecrow sensory tray, too.

Supplies You’ll Need

To set up your apple-themed sensory bin, gather a few simple materials. Most can be found around the house or at a dollar store:

• Dried green split peas (bin filler)
• Red, yellow, and green pom poms (these become the “apples”)
• Sensory tweezers, scoopers, or tongs
• 3 toilet paper rolls painted red, yellow, and green (apple baskets)

Easy alternatives:

• Use rice, beans, or shredded paper if you don’t have split peas.
• Swap colored cups or small bowls for the toilet paper rolls.
• No tweezers on hand? Kids can use their fingers just as well.

How to Set Up the Apple Sensory Bin

Setting up this apple sensory bin for toddlers and preschoolers takes just a few minutes, and the simple prep pays off with hours of engaged play. Here’s how to do it step by step:

Paint the rolls: Paint one toilet paper roll red, one yellow, and one green. Let them dry completely—these will be the “apple trees.”

Create the base: Pour dried green split peas into the bottom of your bin. Aim for a layer about 1–2 inches deep so kids can scoop and dig.

Add the apples: Scatter red, yellow, and green pom poms on top of the peas. Mix them up so kids have to search a little while they play.

Set out tools: Place tweezers, tongs, or scoopers beside the bin. Younger children may prefer to use their fingers at first.

How to Play

Once the bin is ready, invite your child to “harvest the apples.” The main activity is simple: kids use tweezers, tongs, or their fingers to pick up the pom poms and drop them into the toilet paper roll that matches in color.

Red apples go in the red “tree”, yellow apples in the yellow “tree”, and green apples in the green “tree”.

To keep the activity fresh, try these playful variations:

Race to Sort

Set a timer for 30 seconds and challenge your child to see how many apples they can sort before the buzzer.

Count and Compare

After sorting, count the apples in each basket together. Which color has the most? Which has the fewest?

Open-Ended Play Ideas

Let kids use their imagination—maybe the pom poms become ingredients for “apple pie,” or they line them up to make patterns. Following your child’s lead often sparks the most creative play.

Learning Benefits

This apple-picking sensory bin isn’t just fun—it’s full of learning. Kids practice important early skills every time they scoop, sort, and play.

Color Recognition

Sorting red, yellow, and green pom poms helps children practice identifying and matching colors.

Fine Motor Skills

Using tweezers or tongs strengthens the small hand muscles needed for writing, cutting, and self-care tasks.

Cognitive Development

Organizing by color encourages logical thinking, focus, and early problem-solving.

Visual Discrimination

Picking out one color from a mixed group sharpens attention to detail and observation skills.

Sensory Exploration

The mix of smooth pom poms and textured split peas creates a calming sensory experience through touch and sound.

Tips for Success + Safety Notes

A few simple adjustments can make apple sensory bins work for a wide range of ages and learning styles.

Supervision Matters

Because pom poms and split peas are small, always supervise young children during play to prevent mouthing or choking.

Adjust for Age

• Toddlers may prefer using their hands to grab the pom poms.
• Preschoolers can practice with tweezers or tongs to strengthen their grip.
• Early elementary kids can add math challenges like graphing or addition.

Keep It Fresh

Store the materials in a resealable bag or container so the bin can be used again. Swap the pom poms for other seasonal items (mini pumpkins, leaves, or jingle bells) to extend the activity beyond fall.

Clean-Up Made Easy

Place a sheet or tablecloth under the bin to catch any runaway split peas. A quick shake or vacuum makes tidying up simple.

Related Apple Activities

If your kids enjoyed this apple tree sensory bin, they’ll love these other hands-on apple ideas. Each one is easy to set up and adds a little extra fun to your apple preschool theme.

• Apple Stamps – Turn real apples into stampers for a simple art project.
• Apple Volcano Experiment – Mix science and sensory play with a fizzy apple eruption.
• Paper Plate Apple Craft – A classic craft that’s perfect for little hands.

Free Printable + Next Steps

Looking for more ways to bring apples into your lessons? Grab our free Parts of an Apple Worksheet—a simple cut-and-paste activity that pairs perfectly with this apples sensory bin. It’s a fun way to extend the learning and reinforce early science skills.

When you join the Homeschool Preschool email list, you’ll get instant access to this printable plus even more seasonal activities, sensory bin ideas, and teaching tips delivered straight to your inbox. It’s an easy way to keep fresh, hands-on lessons ready for your preschooler all year long.

This apple sensory bin is a simple, budget-friendly way to bring learning and play together. With just a few supplies, your child can practice colors, strengthen fine motor skills, and enjoy a little fall-themed fun.

I hope this activity inspires you to keep exploring hands-on ways to learn at home. If it helped spark an idea for your apple preschool theme, I’d love for you to share it with another homeschool family—or save it to your Preschool Activities board on Pinterest for later. Small activities like this really do add up to big learning moments.