Do any of you educators out there have any good ideas for sensory tables?

Question

I am forever changing the contents of my sensory tables. Sure I'll put the tradition sand and water, but I also put felt clippings, paper and scissors, goop, cooked pasta, baby oil, etc, etc. What do you put in yours?

Answer 1

Brown sugar clumps together well.

Answer 2

I've noticed sensory tables only deal with the sense of touch. How about something a little different? How about using things for the other senses?
Sight: colorful things, object of various shapes and sizes, things that glow, etc..
Smell: orange peels, empty spice bottles, empty candy wrappers, etc..
Hearing: things that scrape, things that make peculiar noises, dead leaves, things the crackle, etc..
Taste: probably want to leave that alone because of possible spreading of germs. If you have any ideas, go for it.
Use your imagination when involving the 5 senses for your sensory tables. The sky's the limit. Have fun.

Answer 3

Corn starch is cool since it "squeaks" when you pinch it. Bird seed...you can use it for a winter feeder project when you're done, Soap suds..laundry soap has good staying power (whip some up in a bucket and just scoop out the suds). Pieces of furry fabric. Check farm supply stores or grocery stores that sell in bulk or have the mega-size containers of different items for additional ideas.

Answer 4

beans-----lima and brown beans

sometimes sponges
we got a whole batch of sponges donated so it was a big bunch of cut up sponges once

Sometimes easter grass or confetti paper from a shredder----just be careful it doesn't cut the kiddos---some paper has sharper edges

there is a new thing on the market i want to try it is moon sand I think-----

also a product that is called something like snow----it is safe and easy to clean etc.

I have used the packing styrofoam peanut things------

I have combined sandpaper with felt squares to highlight soft vs rough-------big vs little squares too

corrugated cardboard squares or a big piece along the floor for a bumpy road for matchbox cars........

ice cubes are nice but can get tricky if the kids take them out and then the floor is slippy------- if you have two bins though you can have ice cubes and warm water for cold and warm

Answer 5

Coloured shaving foam in piping bags. Let children to squeeze it out on the table and then play with their hands. Great for sensory in term of colours (eye), smell, and touch. I put this activity out twice, children just loved it!

Answer 6

Oh we love the sensory table, it's so much fun!

*rice
*beans (kidney, brown, split pea, lima, etc.)
*jello (assorted flavors and colors, blue is fun to use during an ocean theme with ocean animals)
*pudding
*dirt (bugs, trucks, shovels and pails are fun to play with in there)
*dry noodles (color them with food coloring and then place cups, buckets etc. and they can sort by color or shape if you use different shapes)
*corn starch and water (lots of fun to play with, kind of messy but really neat!)
*shaving cream (make sure to get the unscented kind it's easier on their skin)
*flour and sugar (one on each side)
*legos
*oatmeal (add some vanilla or cinammon it smells so good!)
*fall leaves
*snow
*water with soap (washing dishes)
*magnets
*corn on the cob (some shucked some unshucked so kids can do it) then let them use the corn on the cob as paint rollers and make cool pictures
*beads, straws and string to practice threading
*paint and paintbrushes (no paper)
*ice and salt
*potato flakes
*make fake snow (white paint, glitter and sand)
*sand (trucks, shovels, pails)
*Hay
*Golf Balls
*Ping Pong Balls
*Sandpaper
*Coffe Grounds
*Silly Putty

Answer 7

What about smelly stuff?
in egg cartoons (or somthing similar) place a cotton ball in each section after it has been dipped in scented oils, another one kids are really great at identifying is coffee! (use some instant coffee power on the cotton ball, rub one on soap, tea tree oil, eucalyptus, cocoa chocolate powder, all sorts of things!

Answer 8

Rice, cut up different grades of sandpaper, natural things like leaves and flower petals, jar lids of different sizes (they make interesting sounds and it's surprising what the children will do with them), jello, real clay (as a group introduction to the material) What do you do for your dramatic play area?

Answer 9

it isnt just what you put in it in general that keeps the kids coming back ive tried almost all of the previous suggestions and added a variety of small toys(dolls, dinosaurs, animals in general, cars/trucks) or added scoops, measuring cups/spoons, assorted containers, rocks, sticks, leaves, water w/and without items in it of various temeratures(ice is really good in the summer) when we did a week about winter (i was teaching in southern california) we placed snow and shaved ice in it, let your imagination run away with you.

be sure to try different combinations of colors, sizes, shapes and textures, and if you can try different sounds.