Sensory Table Ideas

Sensory tables allow children to explore and learn with all of their senses. Typical education is centered around sight and sound, but this can leave all of our other senses unduly ignored and underutilized. Our sense of smell, our sense of touch — why should these be excluded from our process of learning and growing into the world? The senses are gifts given to us that continue to grow as we age. They need to be enriched and engaged!

Something as simple as a water table, having little hands help with the rinsing and washing of dishes can go a long way.

What is a sensory table?

A sensory table can be thought of as a tool and as a toy. It works perfectly as both! As a toy, a sensory table is an engaging activity that stimulates a number of the senses. As a tool, it teaches (usually a child) how to explore and develop their senses with hand-on play. A child’s perception and fine motor skills can be finely tuned with exposure to a sensory table.

Sensory awareness is a common therapeutic tool to refocus, reduce anxiety, and feel embodied and rooted. Noting what you see, how things feel, what the air around you reminds you of — all practices reassert and reaffirm your control and grounded-ness in your environment.

Sensory tables are also great at engaging children with sensitivities and allowing them to engage with the world in ways that are better in line with their stimulation needs. Children with autism spectrum disorder have a lot to gain from sensory tables.

Get your sensory craft on!

Sensory tables don’t have to be overly complex. Who’s to say a sensory table has to be indoors? A nature-based sensory table could include plants, leaves, or organic clay. A sensory table, at a conceptual level, leaves so many options and possibilities for the creative moms and dads out there.

A sensory table can really be something as simple as a stump and a clump of clay. But, to make it slightly more complex, a great outdoor sensory table idea we’ve seen around is making a little woodland village of sorts out of leaves, straw, and twigs. Biodegradable and, to boot, more time spent outdoors for kids when technology encourages otherwise.

The outdoors, also, just have so many more natural, fresh smells for children to experience. No need to overload a young one with the smell of plastic while every other sense is having its day. Most children today, when faced with a lack of movement, artificial colors and tastes, have so much to gain by connecting with a nature based sensory table.