If you’re looking for a fun St. Patrick’s Day activity that combines sensory play and early math skills, this St. Patrick’s Day Pattern Hunt Sensory Bin is perfect for preschool and kindergarten kids.

Kids dig through a bin of green rice to find shamrocks, rainbows, gold coins, leprechaun hats, and pots of gold. Then they match the pieces to their pattern strip printable.

This activity is perfect for math centers, sensory tables, classroom activities, or at-home learning.

Best of all, the printable includes pattern strips AND the icons you can laminate and hide in the sensory bin.

Supplies

To make this St. Patrick’s Day sensory bin you will need:

• Sensory bin or plastic container
• Rice (dyed green) – other options would be split peas, kinetic sand, or beans.
• St. Patrick’s Day printable pattern strips
• Laminated icons from the printable
• Scissors
• Laminator (optional but recommended)

Optional additions:

• Plastic gold coins
• Shamrock confetti
• Small pots of gold
• Scoops or magnifying glasses

How to Make the St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bin

1. Fill a large bin with green-dyed rice or your preferred filler.
2. Print and laminate the St. Patrick’s Day icons from the printable packet.
3. Cut out the icons and hide them throughout the sensory bin.
4. Give each child a pattern strip.
5. Kids search through the rice to find the pieces and place them in order to match their pattern.

What Kids Learn With This Activity

This activity is more than just fun — it also helps kids practice important early learning skills.

Children practice:

• Pattern recognition
• Problem solving
• Visual discrimination
• Fine motor skills
• Sensory exploration

Because the printable includes different pattern styles, the activity works well for preschool and kindergarten learners.

Sensory Bin Filler Alternatives

If you don’t have rice on hand, or your classroom avoids rice, there are lots of great sensory bin fillers that work just as well for this activity.

Shredded Paper
Green shredded paper makes a festive St. Patrick’s Day filler and is easy to clean up.

Dry Beans
Lima beans, split peas, or green lentils are a great option and provide a different texture.

Dyed Pasta
Large pasta shapes like rotini or penne can be dyed green and used just like rice.

Pom-Poms
Green pom-poms are perfect for younger kids and eliminate the mess of small grains.

Easter Grass
Plastic Easter basket grass works great for spring sensory bins.

Kinetic Sand
Kids can dig and uncover the hidden pieces just like a treasure hunt.

Dry Oats
Old-fashioned oats create a softer sensory base that is easy to scoop and dig through.

Play Dough Crumbles
Break up green play dough pieces so kids can dig through and uncover the icons.

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Teacher Tip

If you’re setting this up in a classroom, large fillers like pom-poms, shredded paper, or Easter grass are usually the easiest for cleanup and reuse.

St. Patrick’s Day Sensory Bin Variations

You can easily adapt this activity for different classrooms or skill levels.

Treasure Hunt Version
Hide gold coins and pots of gold along with the printable icons.

Pattern Challenge
Have kids create their own patterns using the laminated pieces.

Math Center Activity
Set up the sensory bin at a classroom math station and rotate students through the activity.

Download the Printable Pattern Hunt

The free printable includes:

✔ Pattern strips
✔ Matching St. Patrick’s Day icons you can laminate and hide

👉 Download the printable here.

More St. Patrick’s Day Activities Kids Love

If you’re planning a St. Patrick’s Day theme week, check out these fun activities:

• St. Patrick’s Day Scavenger Hunt Sensory Bin
• Pot of Gold Rainbow Paper Chain Craft
• Pot of Gold and Tissue Paper Rainbow Craft
• Shamrock Pretzel Bites