One of Peanut's favorite stations at school is the sensory table. She loves to dump and fill, dump and fill. Her teacher recently told us the sensory table the best place, outside of snacks, to work on PECS with Peanut. For every scoop or item she wants for the sensory table, she has to request it using her PECS board.
During Peanut's conference, her teacher suggested we get a sensory table at home. She stated it would be a perfect activity for Peanut while I am making dinner. Normally I have MA take her upstairs to watch television so she is not underfoot. It is really not safe for her to be around the stove when I'm cooking. With the sensory table in the kitchen, she can be close to me while I am cooking without any danger of getting burned or hurt. I thought this was a great idea and rushed out to buy the materials to make the table. Well, I actually used a tub, but it's the same thing.
Peanut's teacher assured me of a couple things that made the sensory table more appealing:
1. Peanut never opens the table at school without asking first.
2. Peanut never makes a mess and always keeps the items in the tub.
You know how your kids have a tendency to do things for others that they won't do for you? Yeah, she broke both those promises within 24 hours.
First, I thought I could just leave the tub on the floor with lid on. It's now out of reach where she has to ask for it.
Second, she found it much easier to fill items in her lap.
Leaving me with this:
But since Peanut's teacher warned that I should not put the tub at the kitchen table, I needed a solution or I would be buying more rice within a week. I figured if she was standing she would keep the items in the tub better. So, I moved our Little Tykes picnic table into the kitchen and the problem was solved! Her sisters also enjoy playing with the sensory table. It really is a popular item for children of all ages.
For more information on how to make a sensory tub of your own, check out my article on Root & Sprout: The Benefits of a Sensory Table
17 comments:
You should see how the kids flock to the sensory table at Bridget's preschool. Sometimes it's filled with dried beans. Other days it's filled with water or snow or colored sand. The kids LOVE it, and there are a few who will spend 30+ minutes playing at it.
That's why we have a sandbox in the backyard; it's one BIG sensory table!!
I was thinking sand for Aiden, but rice is much more easier to vacuum.
We had rice in ours. The kids LOVED them! It's always the simple things that keep them entertained!
Very cool idea for occupying while you're cooking! I'll have to see if we can't come up with something like this in our teensy space. :o)
My kids would LOVE this! Especially with items hidden like treasure! Though, Lil'Gal would inevitably end up "making her own for her room."
Great post!
Excellent idea. I was cracking up when I read this because I did the exact same thing earlier this week. Aaron was getting bored with the same things in the house so we cleaned out the water table and filled it with moon sand in our kitchen corner. Now when I am working on the computer or making a meal, he is a lot more occupied. I think I will fill it with other things in the future like rice or beans to give it variety. Like Peanut, he is supposed to ask but it doesn't always happen.
Have a great weekend.
LOL Debbie - No kids seem to do things for their parents, that they do for other people.
The sensory table brings back fond memories of early childhood for me. In the first year or two at school we had sand to play with and also water. To be honest, it was probably my favourite part of school ever.
I hadn't heard of PECS before - but I checked out your other post and it sounds like a pretty good system.
I love reading your blog. Cute...very cute! I just had to write because my classroom just added a second table in it. This afternoon, we adults dyed our rice green for St. Patrick's Day! (We use disposable gloves, and drip food coloring in a little at a time. Rub the rice between your gloved hands, and it's pretty. It dries pretty quick! It will be a hit on Monday.) Saw yours is white. It just makes it more visual, too! Fun, and still OK if accidently eaten!
Elise
That is the cutest idea ever! I'm gonna have to make one of these for my kids. . . if I can muster up the patience to be cleaning up the mess multiple times a day. Does it self clean? ;)
BTW- Kya has those same PJ's! Too cute!
Micah had one for a while - those things are so much fun. Messy, but fun.
@Lis,
LOL! Your asking too much of this mom! No sandboxes!
@Michelle,
That's what ours has, too. I couldn't quite handle all that sand.
@RK,
It really does come in handy.
@FW
We have bugs hidden in ours to find. I also got a matchbox car, but had to get rid of it because the windows are open and it filled up with rice!
@Cath
We've been using PECS for a little over a year now and she is really doing well with it. Studies have shown it helps with vocalization and since we are looking into an electronic device, they'll use the same pictures so she'll have a head start on that.
@Elise,
That's a great idea. I could get my older girls to help out with the coloring of the rice. Thanks for the suggestion.
I would love to do this when Sydney gets old enough. BTW, I saw your blogroll of DS sites on your right rail of your website. I met some of your folks from the Kansas City DS Guild last week in DC. They are amazing! I am planning to change some of our New Parent documentation and modeling it after your area's.
Excellent! Exp on the little picnic table. On her knees or standing - much better than sitting on the floor.
Barbara
Gabi uses a sensory table at school and they say she always makes a mess! One day I found pink rice all over her trampoline at home! I couldn't figure out where it came from. The next week, I was at Gabi's school and she showed me the sensory table containing pink rice. Ms. Elise said Gabi probably put some in her pockets to take it home!
You are very brave! I would never allow a hug tub of rice in my house. The kids would have rice everywhere in about 2 minutes flat. I always cringed when OT from EI would bring that in.
I'm gonna have to try this, my kids would love it! Thats a great idea!
Tristan had one of these when he was smaller. He really liked to eat sand so rice it was.
Another thing he loved to do in the winter was I bought him a small sand and water table and brought it inside. I used to fill it with snow and sometimes washable paint. Excellent for sensory play. :)
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