Sensory Table

[meganlavonnesmommy]

I change mine out for the season too. Get most of the stuff from the dollar store or walmart. THen I keep the season stuff in a zip lock bag for the next year.

Right now we have easter/spring. I have small easter erasers, small cardboard easter baskets, pastel colored pom poms, small easter eggs and carrots, and animal shaped easter eggs.

I have a small cup and serving style spoon for each child so they can scoop and fill the cups.

I fill mine with dried beans, and use similar to the picture posted, a large clear tupperware style tote.

We use it all the time, the kids love it.

[BigMama]

Our sensory table is open everyday. We put many different things inside but I don't use food (rice, pasta, beans, etc.) It is wasteful and sends a bad message about playing with food. In some Asian cultures, rice is considered a precious food source and each grain is used. Therefore some Asian families may be insulted by the waste of a large quantity of rice. Also, with little ones I am constantly teaching them not to put things in their mouths - playing with food would send mixed messages.
Here is a partial list of what we put in our sensory table:
Water (colored with liquid waters)
Warm sudsy water and clothes to wash and hang
Snow
Sand
Wet sand
Seashells
Pompoms
Goop (cornstarch and water)
Silly putty (liquid starch and Elmer's glue)
Fingerpaint
Shaving cream
Birdseed (which we then feed to the birds)
Cracked corn for animals (which we then feed to the ducks)
Real leaves
Marbles
Paper scraps and scissors to cut
Poker chips
Polished stones and water
Potting soil
Fishtank gravel
Feathers
Buttons

We have all kinds of accessories: shovels, scoops, cups, sand/waterwheels, boats, rubber ducks, lily pads made from craft foam and frogs, gourds, acorns, chestnuts, and mini-pumpkins in the fall, tongs, mini muffin tins, funnels, slotted spoons, basters, little boats, etc. etc.

[Springdaze]

i just did oobleck today! Its awesome! I have powder all over now, but its friday and i just have to sweep it up!

[Beach Baby]

Look how cute they are! Looks like they were loving it! I just made colored rice for mine the other day and all three of my own kids (9,6 &19 months) can't get enough of it! Going to pull it out this afternoon and see how my dcg (22 months) does with it. I have little bowls and spoons and ice cream scoop on there all from the dollar tree (LOVE that store!) matchbox cars and some larger plastic kitchen spoons (full size, also from dollar tree!). Right now we are just working on scooping and pouring, but when that gets old I will definitely work on adding more seasonal stuff!

[cheerfuldom]

What do you do if you have young kids in the same room with the olders and the sensory table contains choking hazards?

would love some more ideas posted for table items that are NOT small choking hazards!

[daycare]

ugh I have a love hate relationship with the bins..

How do you all control the children spilling them all over the place. What do you put under the bins? I want so bad to bring them back to my group, but they were so messy to clean up that it was like rolling a rock up a hill. They played and it went all over the daycare. Started out at one end of the room and spread to the next before I could ever stop it.

[cheerfuldom]

that is what I am concerned with...huge messes that spread choking hazards all over the room that is shared with 3 children under 2.

[melskids]

When you first start out offering the bins, stay right by them and model, model, model!!!! The minute they dump or chuck, be there to stop them, and make them responsible for cleaning up. Or take it away. They catch on pretty quick.

I usually start them out as soon as they can sit up on their own. I stay right by them of course. Now they are both just 1, and I even though I am still arms length away, (for safety) neither of them dump it outside of the box/table.