Why Us?

At Bumblebee Bins, each product is thoughtfully curated by a pediatric occupational therapist and mom of three.

WHY BUMBLEBEE BINS?

There are many play dough companies out there. So why Bumblebee Bins? Because each product is thoughtfully curated by a pediatric occupational therapist to ensure your child benefits from every item included.

Along with the complete sensory experience our Play Dough Bins create, we also include a caregiver guide with every bin to help parents facilitate play and incorporate a variety of developmental skills such as fine motor skills, early literacy, and visual-motor skills. A spelling list and writing practice mat is also included in every bin to practice handwriting.

SO, WHAT IS OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY? 

Occupational therapy helps improve a person’s independence and ability to participate in everyday tasks or “occupations”.

Many times, people hear the term “occupational therapy” and think “my kid doesn’t have a job, so they don’t need occupational therapy.” But really, our kids have LOTS of jobs! Here are just a few:

  • Getting dressed and brushing teeth
  • Feeding themselves at meal times
  • Playing appropriately with toys and friends
  • Being an attentive student at school

When working with children, an occupational therapist helps strengthen fine motor skills, regulate sensory systems, and refine visual-motor skills in order for kids to successfully complete these jobs independently in many different environments (in school, at home, on the playground, etc.).

An OT's job is also to make learning these new skills FUN + appropriate! Let's take buttoning a shirt as an example...yes, you could practice over and over and over again
until your child "gets" it but we bet this process causes tears and frustration. An OT addresses each foundational skill (do they have the balance and strength required? Can they pinch small objects? Can they visually focus on the task? etc.) through games, crafts, and functional play!

HOW DO OUR BINS HELP WITH MOTOR AND SENSORY DEVELOPMENT?

Sensory processing: Different textures, scents, colors, and noises to explore in every bin Fine motor manipulation: loose parts such as beads, blocks, and rollers provide fun practice opportunities to use their hands to build and create.

Fine motor strength: Squishing, pinching, and pulling play dough helps strengthen even the smallest muscles in our hands (the ones required to hold a pencil and write!)

Visual-motor integration: Work on hand-eye coordination to stack a tower or practice identifying patterns and sequences using colors, textures, or shapes.

Social skills and communication: New vocabulary, sharing with friends, and creating imaginative scenes help build important language skills.

Executive functioning: Our bins provide open-ended play and allows for creative
opportunities to plan, organize, and execute a new way to play.

STILL OVERWHELMED AND DON'T KNOW WHERE TO START?

Don't forget every Bumblebee Bin comes with a caregiver guide to give you a head start! It's also important to remember that independent, open-ended play (meaning no
rules or instructions!) is great for children! It helps develop problem-solving skills and independence!

And as always, we are here to help! Follow us on Instagram and TikTok @bumblebeebins for fun developmental play ideas, ways to use your bin, and more!