Sensory bin card maker

Dig out a card, read it, find it on the mat

Make cards for a sensory bin. Small word or letter cards go into a bin of rice, beans or sand. Your child digs one out, reads it, finds the same word on the mat and colors its box. The mat shows the words in a different order from the cards.

Words that have a picture (755): press one to add it
Pick a design

Now: . Hundreds of designs to choose from.

Choose each part yourself

To keep a copy, choose “Save as PDF” as the printer. What you type stays on your device: it is not sent to us and not saved.

Your worksheet:

Watch: how the free worksheet makers workA two-minute lesson. Every maker works the same way.

How to make your worksheet

  1. Choose words or letters.
  2. Pick a word set or type your own words, and how many cards.
  3. Print the cards and the mat.
  4. Cut the cards apart and hide them in the bin.

The reading skill

Every card is read twice: once when it comes out of the bin and once when it is found on the mat. Matching a word to the same word is early word recognition.

No bin?

Hide the cards in a bag, under cups or around the room. The mat works the same way.

Letters

With letters, your child says the sound of each letter that is dug out.

Good questions

How small are the cards?

About two inches wide: big enough to read, small enough to bury.

Can I laminate them?

Yes. That is a good idea if the bin holds water beads or anything damp.

Can I use my own words?

Yes. Choose “Type your own words” at the top of the word list and type them. What you type stays on your device.

Is it free?

Yes, with no sign-up and no limit.

Make another kind of sheet

Free · 2 minutes

Is reading hard for your child, and you are not sure why?

“Behind in reading” can mean ten different things, and each one needs different help. Check off what is true for your child. You will see the one thing to work on first, and what can wait.

Find where to start