Sand/Water (Sensory) Table
A sand or water sensory table provides children with opportunities to touch, feel, and manipulate different types of solid and liquid materials. (Sand and water tables are also used to promote the development of mathematics and science concepts, discussed in Chapter 10.) The ATL standards are supported because children are intensely curious about materials available in this kind of experience and become deeply engaged in exploring their properties and figuring out what happens when they try different things.
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The materials used are intrinsically satisfying to the senses; many a teacher will attest to the calming influence of a sensory table for a child who is upset or one with the sensory processing difficulties that some children on the autism spectrum experience. Technically, any container such as a large plastic dishpan or baby bathtub can be used to hold water, sand, or other materials, but most early childhood settings make use of equipment designed for this purpose and sized to accommodate three or four children at a time. Commercially produced tables are widely available in different sizes/heights to accommodate a range of child age groups and contexts, have drains for easy cleanup, and may include space for storage or additional features such as a water pump.
Sensory play is not limited to the indoors, since most sand/water tables are made of durable materials and have wheels that enable them to be easily transported outside. In addition, a sandbox and/or dirt-digging area is a common feature of most child-care and preschool programs.
As soon as a child can stand unassisted, the sensory table typically becomes a magnet for activity, beckoning the child to touch, pour, sift, squish, poke, dig, mold, and handle materials that behave in both predictable and unpredictable ways. The list of materials for use in sensory play is limited only by requirements for safety and cleanliness, such as emptying and disinfecting water tables daily. Materials should be chosen with regard to the age of children; for instance, dried beans would not be a good choice for toddlers who might want to put them in their noses or ears! When sand or dirt-based material is used, it should be clean and free of any debris that could be harmful to the skin or if ingested.
Table 7.1 includes a list of base materials, tools or props, and activities that can be used or adapted for the sand/water table to promote the kinds of activities listed above.