Silicone Scoops

Some of the best play comes from very simple tools. This set of three soft silicone scoops is made for the kind of play young children come back to again and again: scooping, pouring, filling and tipping. Use them with dry rice, lentils, sand, water, soil or anything else in your sensory bin. They’re just as at home in the bath or the garden.

The three scoops come in small, medium and large and fit neatly inside one another, so they’re easy to pack away when play is done. The medium scoop has a funnel handle, so children can watch a stream of rice or water run out the other end. The silicone is soft and flexible but holds its shape. It’s gentle on little hands and mouths, and the muted rose, blush and honey-yellow colours look lovely on a play shelf.

Because there’s no single right way to use them, the scoops grow with your child. A young toddler might simply dig and tip. A preschooler might fill containers, compare amounts or set up a pretend shop or kitchen. They’re simple, durable and easy to clean, and well worth adding to your sensory play basics.

What’s Included

• 1 x Large scoop (dusty rose) – approx. 16.5 cm long x 6.9 cm wide x 4.8 cm deep
• 1 x Medium funnel scoop (blush pink)
• 1 x Small scoop (honey yellow) 

Total: 3 pieces · Made from food-grade, BPA-free silicone · Nests for storage
Recommended age: 10 months+ (adult supervision during water play)

What the OT Says

Scooping looks simple, but it is a rich motor task. To fill a scoop and carry it without spilling, a child has to grip the handle steadily and rotate the forearm to keep the scoop level. They also have to adjust their wrist as the weight changes. These are the same movements a child needs for using a spoon at mealtimes, so scooping play can support self-feeding skills in a low-pressure way. The three handle sizes give different grasp experiences. The larger handle suits a whole-hand grip, and the smaller one encourages a more refined grip with the fingers.

Pouring adds another layer. When a child pours from a scoop into a container, they’re using hand-eye coordination and graded control: tipping slowly enough to hit the target without overflowing. Children often hold the container with one hand and pour with the other, which supports bilateral coordination. The funnel scoop lets children see cause and effect, as material flows in one end and out the other. Many children find that captivating, and it can lengthen their attention span.

Scoops also make sensory play feel safer for children who are unsure about textures. Some children hesitate to put their hands into wet sand, slime or water. A scoop puts a little distance between them and the material, so they can explore at their own pace while still getting the sensory input. Heavier materials like damp sand or soil also give useful proprioceptive feedback through the hands and arms. Over time, many children move from using the tool to touching the material directly.

There’s lovely language and early maths in this play too. Words like full, empty, more, less, big, small, in and out come up naturally. Nesting the scoops by size introduces size order (seriation) without any formal teaching. I’d happily recommend these for home sensory bins, bath time and outdoor play, and as a versatile everyday tool in a therapy room or classroom.