Sensory tables/bins?

[mom-in-alberta]

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.

[Sandbox Sally]

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

[Dreamalittledream]

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

[mlc1982]

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?

[playfelt]

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.

[zen39]

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.

[playfelt]

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.

[zen39]

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.

[MunchkinMinder]

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

[jodaycare]

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.