Sensory tables/bins?

I am wondering if any of you use sensory tables/bins in your childcare repertoire?
I have been surfing some childcare sites, and they seem to be all the rage. Was thinking about putting one together in a good sized Rubbermaid type container, but I am unsure. It seems like an idea that is targeted at special needs kids?
I don't want to make one up, and then spend the entire time it's open saying "No, we don't put that in our mouth" etc!! I think it would be neat though, to change out the items in it with the theme or season we are in?
Hmmmm.... :)

If you are not sure what I am referring to:
http://notjustcute.com/2008/12/08/th...e-on-a-budget/
http://www.earthskids.com/sensorytable.aspx

They are a very popular item with all ages and not just special needs. There are a ton of ideas for making them up to along with themes or skills such as pouring, sifting, scooping. But as you say not appropriate unsupervised when we have mixed ages as there is a danger to infants and toddlers. I have only used them as an activity an then put it away and the mess just didn't warrant the learning value. I figure we have the sandbox outside for scooping and pouring. And bathtime gives water play so not something we need to waste daytime hours on.

My kids love the sensory table ( I use an outdoor sand table that I keep inside). Because I have young toddlers, I include larger items that they can't choke on and I tend to keep with our monthly themes. I.e Christmas time, we had a bunch of Christmas bows in it, for any colour theme I put in an assorted array of items of that colour. I've put in large fake flowers, blocks, cars, animals, shredded paper,...the list is endless.

If I do any "messy" sensory bins, I tend to use my rubbermaid containers..I have several so there is no pushing and fighting and I'm there with them the whole time and when we're done the items get packaged away. I've used colored rice, pasta, beans, water etc...with spoons, funnels, cups bowls etc...

And now that the weather is nice, they have a sandbox and water table for endless fun.

For those of you with water tables, how do you keep them from putting their mouths in the water? I have one, but have stopped using it because it just becomes a big germ sharing activites with them all drinking from it and dipping their runny noses in it...yuck!

I made a rice bin that they love to play in and a water tsble for outside. I don't have issues with them putting their mouth in the water...just the toys in their mouth.

I got rid of mine during the H1N1 with the idea of things that spread more germs than they were worth such as sensory bin, play doh, etc. I had some overly concerned moms and it made it look like I was doing the best I could. I just haven't brought it back and the kids are fine without it. i certainly don't miss having to clean up around it.

I have a sensory kid and I use an underbed storage rubbermaid container. I use dried beans, oats, or rice.

I've used what others have mentioned. I use different pastas for different feels snd I have also used cotton balls. I do have young toddlers so I have to make sure they don't put stuff in their mouthes. They love it though.

Well, thanks ladies! I think I will give it a try. The kids I have are so tactile, I think it will be a hit.
And now that most of them are closer to two than one (or even older) I am not insanely worried about choking. Eagle-eye supervision will be the name of the game, I think. :)

Dck loves the sensory bins! I bought four white plastic bins measuring about 20 inch by 20 inch by 12 inch high, and fill them with dried lentils/peas, cotton balls, water and shaving cream! Strangely, she hates the way the cotton balls feel, and avoids this one. LOL

For what ages do you use sensory bins/tables? Does your whole group use them or is there a certain age range that you find likes them best?

I don't use them at all when I have kids that still put things or hands in the mouth since that means it all transfers to the toys, then gets stirred up so all the germs from the mouth are now buried in the bin to grow. Not a fan of sensory bins with under 3 at all due to the dangers of the items normally used. I don't have anything out for the older kids that I can't turn my back on while my youngest ones are in the room. I have some special toys that come out only during infant naptime which is another reason for giving the infants/toddlers a short respite time in the morning even if it is a playpen or playyard if they don't sleep anymore. I have tried putting the older kids up to the table with smaller items and then keeping the little ones busy in another area but I found mostly I had the older kids wanting to join us too just because that is where my attention was being given so it defeats the purpose. What I won't do is make an infant/toddler sit in their highchair so the older ones can do art, small toys etc since that isn't fair to the infant/toddler who has their own learning they should be doing.

I've always used sensory bins. I have one that is big enough for my 4 little ones to stand around. I have 2 one year olds, 1 two year old and a 3 year old. Because I have little ones, I only do messy bins when I'm sitting there with them and then I use a smaller rubbermaid containers and it's more of a planned activity. In the summer, they have sand and water tables outside everyday, but none of that comes into my house.

For the indoor bins for my young ones...I'll fill it with various items of one colour (large blocks, legos, cups, plates, toys). Other items have been leaves, shredded paper, fake flowers, plastic easter eggs, balls, fabric pieces, little stuffed animals. Anything that is safe for them to play with on their own. Sensory bins doesn't always have to be messy. But all these items, look and feel different, hard/soft, big/small...just have fun with it...the possibilities are endless.

Guess it depends on your definition of a sensory bin. We have bins for blocks, small animals, little cars, little people, etc. Sometimes the kids sit beside the bin and simply stir the people up with their hands, pulling the odd figure out to examine it more closely and other times they take them out and line them up and play. So I guess I have sensory bins out all the time.

When I think of sensory bins I think more of themed things like waterplay with plastic fish or small stones and dinosaurs or shredded paper and marbles to find - all things not appropriate for toddlers and to me the risk outweighs the benefits and I prefer waiting till the child is older to have this kind.

For me, I equate sensory bins with all 5 senses not just touch or texture (i.e. sand, water, rice, goop, cornmeal). I've put in an assortment of shakers for my toddlers for their hearing sense, large feathers for their touch sense, we've done the cheerio bin (toddlers love this one, play and eat at the same time) for their taste sense etc... However, when I say I add blocks to the sensory bin, I mean that I add all blocks that are round only or only yellow blocks if yellow is the colour we are focussing on that month. All my bins are always theme related, right now we are beginning to talk about apples and I have a bunch of fake apples in there. Next to it is a bucket with a branch and the children like to hang the apples on the branch.

I've been considering setting up some sensory bins, especially since we're going to be heading into winter, as something new for the kids. Thank you for all the great ideas on what to put in them :)

mamao4- I also have a under the bed rubbermaid bin under my bed that is filled with sand currently and the children love it as well. Thanks for the beans and oats idea!

I am going to pick up some gourds and pumpkins tomorrow to put out for my kids to play with. I have quite a few under twos so I think that they will like them and they are not a choking hazard. On a side note, when I worked at the centre in the infant room. we made sensory bottles out of small plastic pop bottles. We put everything in them, water and sparkles, coloured oil and water, rice, etc. We sealed them with extra strong tape.

has anyone else found the water beads? my kids LOVE those

I have done quite a few bottles as well. Water and glitter, shampoo and marbles, rice and cars, oil, water and food coloring. I just did one with candy corn, rubber spiders, ants and worms.

Oh I'm so glad you posted this. I've been researching many sites for sensory tables (for indoor use) and while I understand the educational and fun value...but imagining my busy 2 year-olds and rice, sand or water everywhere *shivers*. Love the idea of using the rubbermaid underbed storage boxes...easy to bring out/plan ahead and cover and remove. And some great ideas for materials other than sand, water and rice:)

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Originally Posted by kangaroomama

For those of you with water tables, how do you keep them from putting their mouths in the water? I have one, but have stopped using it because it just becomes a big germ sharing activites with them all drinking from it and dipping their runny noses in it...yuck!

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I give the children cups, pails and shovels, marbles, all kinds of things to put in our water table, but it's outside. I've never had a problem with anyone trying to drink the water out there, but I stress that it is dirty water and they see that for themselves quite quickly because they always get the dirt and gravel in there and then we have a mud table. I empty mine and refill it every day we use it for safety and sanitary reasons. It's a snow table in winter too, if we could just get some snow!

Can you give everybody a big drink before you go outside and talk to them about clean drinks and water that is for hands but not for their mouth?

I also wanted to say that I don't use sensory bins usually. I have a great variety of toys and books. We do a lot of crafting with a lot of different mediums so I make sure they have a good variety of textures and items when glueing or taping or building crafts and we have playdo too. At Hallowe'en I make semi-cooked pasta in green coloured water and put scary items in the bin for a fun search game, but otherwise I don't find it necessary. I do have friends with daycares who were ECE's who do believe in sensory bins though.