Sensory Tables!

Sensory tables used to be something found only in a preschool classroom, but lots of people have them at home now, too.  I LOVE sensory tables, and if you don't have one I recommend them highly.  You can buy an inexpensive under the bed storage container, attach it to a table temporarily using loops of duct tape, or just set it on the floor on top of a bed sheet or shower curtain (to catch the spills and dribbles :) Here are some of the benefits of playing in one:

• As they share space and take turns with materials, children are learning to play cooperatively with others.  
• As they explore lentils, cornmeal, dirt, rice, pasta, and water, they can observe those materials to see how they compare and contrast.
• Problem-solving skills are developed as the children try to fit lids on containers they have over-filled, or as they try to keep a collection of items from floating away in the table of water.
• Their fine motor skills grow as they use tongs to scoop up shredded cellophane, or use tiny spoons to scoop cornmeal into small film canisters.  
• Eye-hand coordination grows as they pour water into a tube…  The skills are as endless as the fun!

You can make the experience even more valuable by interacting with the kids as they play in these tables.  Ask them how many scoops it takes to fill a certain container, or ask them to pass you the biggest spoon, or the smallest cup—in these way you can enhance their thinking skills, their math skills, and their language skills all at once!

Need ideas for your sensory table?  I've collected about a million right here.  Want stuff more toddler-focused?  Check these ideas out.