Learning occurs through play at the sensory table. Sometimes it can be tricky to think up new, engaging sensory tables so I am here to help! I’m sharing all of my favorite sensory tables for various themes you may do in a preschool, pre-k, or kindergarten classroom. There are just too many amazing sensory tables for one post so I will make a separate post with my favorite holiday sensory tables also!
In each sensory bin, try to add some kind of tool (ex: scoops, tweezers, utensils), something to put the sensory filler into (ex: trays, bowls, plastic eggs, buckets), something to sort or count (ex: mini erasers, pom poms, jewels), and sometimes something to spark imaginary play (ex: animals, people, counters, ). Most of the supplies in the bins come from the Dollar Tree, Michaels, Walmart, or the Target spot. If you want a printable list of Sensory Fillers and Sensory Tools, check out THIS POST and if you want Sensory Table Ideas for each Holiday, check out THIS POST.
Since I’m sharing my favorite sensory bins, you also need to know how to make colorful fillers. Check out: How to Dye Chick Peas HERE, How to Color Beans HERE, How to Dye Rice HERE, and How to Dye Noodles HERE.
Just a reminder that red kidney beans are poisonous if ingested without being cooked. DO NOT put them in the sensory table!
This post contains referral links which means if you purchase using my link I earn a tiny commission.
55 Sensory Table Ideas
All About Me Sensory Table
- colored chickpeas
- measuring spoons
- people cookie cutters
- buttons
- bowls
- tongs
- tweezers
- foam people
Summer Sensory Table
- beans colored green
- pineapple ice cube tray (or any summer-themed tray)
- pineapple mini erasers
- tiny pom poms
- measuring spoons
- squeeze scoop
Strawberry Sensory Bin
- black beans
- mini erasers
- strawberry pop it
- measuring spoons
- tweezers
- popsicle mold
Hot Cocoa Sensory Bin
- salt (dye light down with liquid watercolor)
- candy cane mini erasers
- white pom poms (marshmallows)
- plastic jars or coffee cups
- whisk
- tweezers
- mini scoops
Forest or Camping Sensory Table
- brown beans and peas
- mini rocks (Dollar Tree)
- tweezers and measuring scoops (not pictured)
- tree rings
- Gold plastic cups
- moss balls
- forest animals
Color Sensory Table
- rainbow rice
- pom poms of various sizes (for sorting)
- mini spatulas
- colored bowls (for sorting)
- silicone cupcake molds
- mini craft trays (Dollar Tree)
Spring Sensory Table
- rubber mulch (dirt can have harmful chemicals in it, making it not safe for kids to play in) *don’t want mulch, try black beans*
- plastic flowers
- plastic pots of various sizes
- small rocks
- garden tools
Plant Sensory Bin
- black beans
- plastic pots
- fake flowers
- gardening tools
- pom poms (in the same color as the flowers, so students can plant the pom poms and then have a flower grow)
- mini erasers
Pet Sensory Table
- hole punches (place a box next to the copy machine to collect the hole punches or ask an office supply store for them) or use pet bedding
- cardboard tubes
- pet counters or pet animals
- parmesan cheese containers
- tweezers
Fall Sensory
- Dyed rice
- letter manipulatives
- plastic garden tools
- plastic leaf beads
- mini logs
- cups
Pumpkin Sensory Table
- chickpeas dyed green, yellow, and orange
- pumpkin tray
- mini tongs
- silicone cupcake molds
- mini bake pans (stores like HomeGoods have them)
- measuring spoons
Dog Washing Sensory Station
- water
- soap
- twisty droppers
- plastic dogs
- sponges
- toothbrushes
>For more water sensory table ideas, check out this post!<<
Birthday Sensory
- rainbow rice
- fun plastic mini bowls (Dollar Tree)
- number candles
- stick candles
- scoops (not pictured)
Ribbon Cutting Station
- ribbon
- scissors
Fairy Tale Sensory Table
- dry peas
- plastic eggs
- gems
- unicorn mini erasers
- moss rocks
- tweezers
Recycling Sensory Table
- pet bedding
- recycling and trash trucks
- tweezers
- tissue paper squares
- mini recycling and trash bins (Dollar Tree)
Heath Sensory Table
- rice
- tweezers
- red gems (red blood cells)
- glass gems (white blood cells)
- Q-Tips
- tooth mini erasers
- baby food containers
- mini craft sticks
Dental Health Sensory Table
- blue, teal, and green rice
- toothbrushes
- mouthwash container
- blue plastic shot glasses
- funnel
- tooth savers
Dinosaur Dig Sensory Table
- sand or kinetic sand
- dinosaur skeletons
- paintbrushes
- small wooden tray (not pictured)
Dinosaur Sensory
- chickpeas
- plastic dinosaurs
- scoops
- tweezers
- pop its
- plastic bones
- pom poms
Weather Sensory Table
- blue rice
- rainbow mini erasers
- plastic rainbow pill holder (Dollar Tree)
- glass gems
- cotton balls
- lightening (cut it from foam)
- baby formula scoops
Night Sensory Table
- star noodles colored black and gold
- sliver mini utensils (IKEA)
- silver measuring cups
- moon and star cookie cutters
- gold plastic cups
Space Sensory Table
- black and neon-colored fish tank gravel
- glow in the dark stars
- moon people and space figures
Monster Sensory Bin
- colored chickpeas
- pom poms
- tweezers
- silly eyes
- star beads
- egg carton
Bats Sensory Table
- purple and black noodles
- pom poms
- measuring scoops
- tweezers
- mini purple buckets
- bats
Pizza Sensory Table
- flour with oregano sprinkled in
- oregano containers
- plastic pizza cutter
- bread pans or pizza pans
- mini spatulas
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
Gingerbread Sensory Table
- oatmeal (sprinkle cinnamon in it)
- bowl
- measuring scoops
- measuring spoons
- gingerbread cookie cutters
- gingerbread mini erasers
- magnet letters
Shape Sensory Table
- shape foam beads (Discount School Supply)
- shape chain manipulatives
- translucent shapes
- shape beads or any other fun shape manipulatives you have in your classroom
- cupcake pan (for sorting)
Apple Sensory Table
- oatmeal
- red pom poms or mini apples
- mini pie pans
- measuring scoops
- measuring cups
- empty spice jar
- pie scraper
- whisk
Sports Sensory Table
- green beans
- sport plastic eggs
- mini trophies (Dollar Tree)
- sport mini erasers
- Sport cups
- scoops
Bird Sensory Bin
- bird seed (be aware of nut allergies)
- pinecones
- sticks
- pipe cleaner worms
- pom poms
- spoons
- plastic birds
- small nests
- egg carton
Pond Sensory Table
- blue rice with sequins in it
- tree rings
- blue gems
- plastic shot glasses
- tweezers
- lily pads (cut from foam)
- ducks and frogs (bath toy section at Dollar Tree)
Transportation Sensory Table
- Legos with wheel pieces
- STEM I Can Build Postersor on the wall (not pictured) or place on a metal ring in the table for students to use as support
Hibernation Sensory Table
- brown beans
- letter rocks (make a set using a white paint marker and rocks from the Dollar Tree)
- mini rocks
- glass gems (ice)
- cotton balls (snow)
- tree rings
- animals figures that hibernate
Nursery Rhyme Sensory Table – Itsy Bitsy Spider
- beans colored various shades of blue
- spiders
- scoops
- waterspouts; make yourself using paper towel tubes, tape, scissors
Olympics Sensory Table
- shredded paper (red, yellow, green, blue, white from Dollar Tree)
- tweezers
- scissors
- jars (to put trimmings in)
Bug Sensory Table
- black beans
- worms (check the fishing section at Walmart and make sure there are NO HOOKS in the worms)
- bug counters or figures
- plastic jars (can use colored cups for sorting colors)
- mini shovels
- mini rakes
- handy scoopers
Grocery Store Sensory Bin
- mixed beans
- metal cans
- scoops
- veggie counters
- tweezers
- whisks
Ice Cream Sensory Bin
- cotton balls (ice cream)
- pom poms (sprinkles)
- ice cream cups
- empty ice cream cartons of various sizes
- ice cream scoops
Cooking Sensory Table
- pom poms of various sizes and colors
- mini pots and pans
- metal cans of various sizes
- mini utensils and whisks
Arctic Sensory Table
- animals frozen in ice (place animals in bowls of water and place in the freezer to freeze overnight)
- ice cubes
- water, color it blue
- cups of water with droppers
Polar Animal Sensory Table
- Instant snow
- tweezers
- ice cream plastic cups
- glass gems of various sizes
- polar animals
Habitat Sensory Bins
- Easter grass
- zoo animals
- ice chunks
- arctic animals
- Easter grass
- streamers
- plastic animals
- sand
- rocks
- desert animals
Snow Sensory Table
- cotton balls
- empty water bottles
- glass gems
- bottle caps with letter stickers or letter tiles
- tweezers
Snowman Sensory Bin
- painted chickpeas
- snowflake confetti
- pom poms
- mini erasers
- scoops
- plastic ornaments (I drew the snowman face on them)
- snowflake plate (dollar store)
Ice Sensory Play
- ice chunks (freeze water in various sized containers)
- tweezers
- droppers
- cups of dyed water
Farm Sensory Table
- corn
- tractors
- farm animals
- pom poms or veggie counters
- fence pieces or brown blocks
- small pails (not pictured)
Noodle Sensory Table
- noodles of various shapes; dye them various colors
- baby food containers with colored dots on the bottom for sorting
- tweezers
- pipe cleaners for lacing (not pictured)
Beach Sensory Table
- dry sand
- shells
- beach animals
- funnels
- sifters
- pails
- shovels (not pictured)
Beach Sensory Play
- kinetic sand
- shells
- plastic cups
Construction Sensory Table
- gravel
- cardboard tubes
- letter rocks
- construction vehicles
Clothing Sensory Bin
- colored rice
- scoopers
- baby food containers
- baby formula scoops
- pipe cleaners (to lace buttons on)
- buttons
- pom poms
Fishing for Letters Sensory Bin
- water
- magnet letters
- fishing poles (dowel rod, string, and magnet)
Letter Hunt Sensory Table
- any filler (this one is plastic washable beads from Lakeshore)
- magnet letters
- magnet wand
- letter hunt printable on a cookie pan to the letters stick
Sight Word Hunt Sensory Table(pick a card, identify the word, build it, and write it)
- any filler; this is colored rice
- sight word cards
- magnet letters
- dry erase board
Letter Harvest Sensory Bin
- corn
- magnet letters
- magnet wands
- tractors
Math Sensory Play
- water
- soap
- chain links
- sponges
- linking cubes
- other math manipulatives
A great way to wash and clean math manipulatives!
Oh goodness! That is a GIANT list of sensory table ideas but if you need Holiday Sensory Table Ideas, click HERE! If you want a printable list of Sensory Fillers and Sensory Tools, check out THIS POST!
Visual supports are very helpful in the classroom, so I just had to make one for the sensory table! To help students manage their behaviors at the sensory table, I create this FREE visual routine chart! Grab it HERE.
Now that you are excited about sensory tables, you might need to know how to color the fillers. I have made a few tutorials to help you. Check out: How to Dye Chick Peas HERE, How to Color Beans HERE, How to Dye Rice HERE, and How to Dye Noodles HERE.
Love it? Pin this image!
Insights, advice, suggestions, feedback and comments from experts
As an expert and enthusiast, I have personal experiences or beliefs, but I can provide you with information and insights on the concepts mentioned in this article.
Sensory Tables in Early Childhood Education
Sensory tables are a valuable tool in early childhood education as they provide hands-on learning experiences that engage children's senses and promote cognitive, physical, and social development. By incorporating various materials and tools, sensory tables create opportunities for exploration, problem-solving, and imaginative play.
Benefits of Sensory Tables
Sensory tables offer several benefits for young learners:
-
Sensory Exploration: Children can explore different textures, colors, and materials, stimulating their senses and enhancing sensory development.
-
Fine Motor Skills: Manipulating tools, pouring, scooping, and sorting objects in sensory tables helps develop fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
-
Cognitive Development: Sensory tables encourage critical thinking, problem-solving, and cognitive skills as children engage in sorting, counting, and imaginative play.
-
Language and Communication: Sensory play provides opportunities for children to express themselves, describe their experiences, and engage in conversations with peers and educators.
-
Social Interaction: Sensory tables promote social interaction, cooperation, and collaboration as children engage in shared play and explore together.
Key Concepts in the Article
This article provides a comprehensive list of sensory table ideas for various themes and occasions. Here are some key concepts mentioned:
-
Sensory Fillers: The article suggests using a variety of materials as sensory fillers, such as colored rice, beans, noodles, chickpeas, sand, snow, cotton balls, and more. These fillers create different sensory experiences for children to explore.
-
Tools and Utensils: To enhance children's engagement, the article recommends incorporating tools and utensils such as scoops, measuring spoons, tweezers, tongs, spatulas, and cups. These tools promote fine motor skills and extend play possibilities.
-
Sorting and Counting: Including objects for sorting and counting, such as mini erasers, pom poms, jewels, and shapes, encourages mathematical thinking and basic numeracy skills.
-
Imaginary Play: The article suggests adding elements of imaginary play, such as animals, people, counters, and miniatures, to spark children's creativity and storytelling.
-
Materials and Supplies: The article mentions that many of the supplies for sensory tables can be found at stores like the Dollar Tree, Michaels, Walmart, or Target, making them accessible and affordable for educators.
-
Coloring Sensory Fillers: The article provides links to tutorials on how to dye different materials like chickpeas, beans, rice, and noodles to create colorful sensory fillers.
-
Safety Precautions: The article advises against using red kidney beans in sensory tables, as they can be poisonous if ingested without being cooked. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring child safety and using appropriate materials.
Additional Resources
The article provides additional resources, including printable lists of sensory fillers and sensory tools, as well as a visual routine chart to help children manage their behavior at the sensory table. It also links to tutorials on coloring sensory fillers and offers a pin image for bookmarking the article.
Sensory tables are a versatile and engaging tool for early childhood education. By incorporating different materials, tools, and themes, educators can create meaningful learning experiences that promote sensory development, fine motor skills, cognitive growth, and social interaction.
