Am I nuts to consider putting out a sensory bin in my playroom? I have a 12mos, 14mos, and 18mos old in my care plus a few part timers. We were at a playgroup thing on Tuesday and the teacher had a water table filled with small legumes. My three had a blast in it. Sure, they ate some but the legumes were tiny and not a choking hazard. I'm also not one to worry about the germs they may ingest. The legumes got all over the floor but a broom solved that problem.

I have a low train table that I use for putting out some toys (little people and the farm, etc) and I have a shallow rubbermaid bin that would sit on top of the train table and would work well to hold the sensory items. The table/bin would not always be in my direct line of sight but I can definitely keep my eye on it. I'm just not a hoverer. The kids play freely here a lot, guided play but not micromanaged, either. It's just not my way. I'm debating between using legumes like the playgroup uses or oatmeal and creating a fall/apple themed bin. I could use rice, uncoloured because it will get eaten and you colour rice using rubbing alcohol. Cormeal is out (too messy) and so is dried pasta (big enough to be choked on).

Am I nuts to consider this? Anyone have successful experiences with a sensory bin and young children?

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If you're nuts, then I am too! I plan on bringing in my (cleaned and sanitized) sand table from outside (can't play in the sand when it's -20 out) and using it as a sensory table.

I plan on putting rice in it as well. Perhaps other things but rice to begin with.

My daycare kids are 12m, 15m, 19m, 3yrs(my DD), and 4yrs. The 19m and 4yr old are leaving my care next Friday, but that's doesn't change my plans either.

I plan on using the sensory table as an end of the day activity, and could perhaps separate the children who don't do well with it.

Good luck!

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I introduce my dck at a young age to rice and stuff too but only as a one on one activity. I can monitor if the kid eats it or wants to fling it around.

I figure if it bothers me too much with mess I'll just plop them in a small kiddie pool and let that retain the mess.

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I am big on these type of activities and exposing kids very young to this stuff. My little's keep up with my bigger kids. Not something you want to leave them with and walk off to do something else, you have to be all eyes and ears and eyes. Doable. Kids learn from be able to experience. Just have to make sure they are safe doing it.

Fun fun fun

How does everyone store sensory table stuff- my issue is lack of space for more stuff! How big of a sensory table does everyone have? What does everyone find works best? Not trying to steal your thread but yet I am.....

Best-

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Nah, you're not nuts! My kidlets (12 months and up) LOVE the sensory table!

GO FOR IT!!!!

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I know we already had the sand-and-water talk... What materials other than that would you recommend for the younger set? I have 2 11 mo's, an 18 mo, a 2 year old, and a 4 year old...soon adding another 2 year old (all part time except one 11 mo).

I have a water table outside...could bring it in for the winter. What are some good not-to-crazy things that are safe for the eat-everything 11 month olds?

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I have a train table which I screwed down, and they love it. But they love the rice table. I colored it and they don't eat it at all, and the alcohol does wear off too. I've had it for 2 months now.

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Fillers:

Pom Poms
foam shapes/letters/numbers
ribbon
paper
plastic tiles with numbers
Counting bears
wooden spoons
popsicle sticks
plastic measuring cups
toilet paper/paper towel tubes
magnetic letters/number/shapes
plastic links
pinecones
seashells
big beads
paintbrushes
seasonal wooden pieces (I usually find these at Michaels or Wal-Mart


If I can think of anything else I'll let you know-

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I have been thinking of doing this too. I have alot of little ones also (14 mos 16 mos 17 mos, 2 yr olds, 3 yr olds). So, for someone that hasn't been big on sensory bins before, what do you do? Do you just put some rice in there with other items and they just mess around with it? I can see how they would love it, so I want to try it.

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I put cooking utensils (measuring cups, strainers, whisk...), little animals/bugs, tweezers, magnifying glass... all kinds of stuff in with whatever is in the table.

I let the infants that i have (2 10month olds) use the sensory bins (I also have 2 2.5yrs and a 3.5yr), Usually things like rice, corn, beans, sand, fabric, rice krispies, water beads... my kids LOVE the sensory table.

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Ohhh, I love the idea of using rice krispies in it.

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Do you know anything about food useage in sensory tables? As far as rules for ratings and assessments go....

In one of my courses, we were told that we couldn't use things such as rice or bean or macaroni in our sensory tables as it is disrespectful to use food items for play.

Besides dry kidney beans being toxic for the kids, they are saying that "playing" with food is not culturally appropriate and disrespectful to those who may be experiencing hunger.

Wondering what you know about this and/or your thoughts.

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For my state I have heard nothing on this.

I don't know if a child would think oh, they are uisng food in here and that is so wrong! Also, alot of the things I put in (birdseed for one) is something a kid wouldn't eat anyway! I guess the birds can be upset with me-

My food items right now consist of pinto beans, white beans, macaroni and birdseed. I don't even think my kiddos think of them as food items because they are in the sensory bin-not on a plate.

I think its silly if its a problem to take $5-$10 dollars to do a sensory bin with dried foods that alot of people even if they are hungry probably wouldn't think of eating.

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I think that that is pushing the politically correct thing a bit too far.

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In my area this policy is part of the rating scale but I do not take part in it because it is voluntary so I can get around

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Yes, in the ratings food as a play item is a big no. No food for art either. (so if your being evaluted - hide it)

I understand where they are coming from but, I do use some. Especially when doing a food theme. My little ones love breaking spaghetti. If you make homemade play dough you are also using food. I think unless if your using organic in your sensory play that it is not really food

My littlest ones love the little pool filled with strips of tissue paper. Big sensory bin I usually plop the sensory bin on my kitchen floor when I am getting lunch or late afternoon. They can play but I can keep an eye on them!

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I remember when I was a kid in elementary school we made those boxes called shadow boxes with the divided areas with the glass front. Anyone remember those? We would put colored beans in them, macaroni etc. Also we used to make macaroni necklaces too.

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yeah, I got the same thing about rating from my technical consultant, and the same answer "just don't do it during an observation".

I have a problem with that....if it's "wrong" its "wrong" all the time...not just when no one is watching. Personally, I wouldn't do pudding painting, etc, but I would be ok with grains in the sensory bin. Maybe because it's not so obviously "food" to the kiddos.

If you are using a grain over and over, then when it "wears out" repurposing for...bird food maybe? or can it go in compost? then are you really "wasting" it?

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Regulation wise I have heard nothing on this as well. I always check with parents about allergies (even family history in the past) and religious food restrictions before introducing foods, even in the sensory bins. A lot of my sensory foods (beans, corn, macaroni) all come from parent donations.

We use pinto and white beans as well if we use beans. I don't always use food but when I first start with the little ones I do start with things that are edible (like the rice krispies) because I know it will end up in the mouth at some point. I try to quickly move onto and find things that they won't particularly like and things that don't look like food we normally eat so they don't develop a habit of eating the sensory bin. Now at 10 months my 2 infants are really good about just "splashing" around in whatever is in the bins and not eating it so now we do other things like bird seed, shaving cream, sand and so on. I completely understand the theory behind it but I feel like if I start looking at things in terms of "not everyone has this so I can't use it" then I'm pretty sure the DCKs would be sitting in a blank room with nothing and we certainly wouldn't be able to use the water table.

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All our food items go into the compost pile, which we use for our garden.

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Who made this rule?

Kids have been using food items to manipulate for as long as I can remember.

This subject always comes up when we talk about sensory bins. It takes away from my creativity and makes me irritable. ok just kidding, but is seriously irritates me and for all the reasons above that others have posted.

You can't let the little's paint with pudding? Fooey to that-

A bunch of uncreative pencil pushers sitting around a table making up these nonsense rules. Common sense. I pass gas I could offend someone but it is a perfectly natural body function.

What irritates me the most is for a person in power above you to tell you just don't do it when I am not around. These rules are making people be sneaky and they are encouraging you to be sneaky. No- Someone should stand up to some of these bizarre Californian(or wherever these are from) rules and say no more... we work with kids every day and this doesn't work-

Not everyone is on the same scale in life. Fact. If we were then we could all have Mercedes to drive around in and steak and wine. I think at that point then I would say ok to that rule.

If anything it would be an open conversation to older kids about children that do not have food all the time in this world and how we can help. If it were not for exploration the population of our world would be lower because people would die from lack of medicines and surgeries. I am creating little future doctors, surgeons, world gardeners that will teach other countries how to grow food. Hog Wash to the nay Sayers on the sensory tables.

stepping off-

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Well, technically for licensing it is not wrong here in ohio and ohio does not certify type B's using the scale. We were introduced to it to increase our awareness.
Since it tends to be a cultural issue, I can see in some areas that this would be avoided. Here that is not an issue. The reasoning for this area doesn't hold up, so I will continue using items. If at some point though I would be evaluted I don't know if I would take the 0 on that area and explain to the parents why or do away with that type of play.
At this point though, there would be a lot of other things I would need to address first. I only keep board books down and available so my others don't get torn up so I know there is not the number and varience in those required. Art supplies, although used often are stored up. I have too many little ones to not protect them and my house
So, if you want to be totally politically correct- don't use any food items. Personnally, with little ones I stay away from foam items unless i can really supervise because of the choke hazzards and teeth marks left in/ on them! However, I think then your missing out on some great sensory play.

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Found the answer to my own question.

According to the NAEYC:

In general, the rationale for avoiding food as learning materials was supported by three main premises

• 1) First, using food as learning materials teaches young children that it is acceptable to eat play materials and play with food.
• 2) Second, using food as learning materials teaches young children that it is acceptable to waste limited resources
• 3) Third, using food as learning materials violates many premises of multicultural education, or teaching children about diverse groups.

http://www.earlychildhoodnews.com/ea...?ArticleID=613

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Here it not against licensing standards, either. Unless, it says "keep out of reach of children" on....which btw, so does most hand soap...

Our state uses FCCER's as part of their Youngstar quality improvement initiative. If you want to a 4 star program, you cannot score lower than a 4 or 5 (don't feel like looking that up just now, so going by memory) in any area.

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I don't agree with this. What about play food? Playdough?

its not being wasted. It is being reused and it is not limited.

being creative and sensory play is a diverse group in itself. How about a little respect for that Respect that I am in the making of a little that will want to explore enough to who knows what when they are adults. Doctors, Cooks, Cancer curers and other diseases, Astronauts, artist, farmers etc...

Pencil pushers. Ugh!

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Oh brother Beaurocrats.

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I guess we'll have to use plastic Jack-o-lanterns, then? Can't waste any pumpkins... who knows, there may be a world-wide pumpkin pie shortage.

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Was it last year that there was a pumpkin shortage? But, the ones we use are for decoration only anyone. But plastic uses petroleum! isn't that worse? Just sayin

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I guess my sarcasm didn't come through!?!? I would never deprive a child from carving a real pumpkin.... regulations be dam&ed!

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Pumpkin carving probably wouldn't be part of a politically correct early childhood program since carving pumpkins is associated with Halloween and Halloween isn't celebrated in ECE classrooms.

It is Fall or Harvest celebrations instead.

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instigator!

on that note, I'll probably be told at some point I can't have Christmas tree either because it's not only culturally insensitive (despite that all my dcf's are practicing Christians...but just incase), it also kills precious trees.

It MIGHT also be culturally insensitive to have a pet cat, dog, or horse because in some cultures THOSE are food. Hey, if I were hungry.....

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First....sorry OP that this has gotten totally off topic.

In regards to using food.....it is not a regulation of any sort to not use food. It is considered part of a DAP program and really comes down to what a provider/teacher values. I, personally do not use food because, yes, I do believe it is innapropriate, culturally insensitive, and have personally witnessed families telling thier children to use as much noodles and rice as they can as they were going to use it at home to eat....they were THAT poor. However, to each his own and if you don't have a problem using food as art or snesory materials, go for it.

But, Honestly, it has nothing to do with California regs, beurocrats, etc. NAEYC is a national organization providing resource to ECE providers and the assessment scales are used nationally to assess quality of ECE programs and is written by two women who have nothing to do with politics.

On another note, things like beans, rice, etc are DANGEROUS as they can be aspirated into the lungs and cause death. Defintiley something to consider.

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No I got that you were being funny

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I cut up pool noodles into big chunks
I placed different texture items in there- sandpaper squares, fabric squares, sponges, felt etc I did 2 pieces of each item so they could match
plastic animals hid in paper shreds.
turkey basters and measuring cups with water.
silk flowers

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Actually, you CAN use the pumpkin as food AND as an EXPERIENCE for the children. Cutting and cleaning a pumpkin, washing, cooking and eating the seeds, baking the pumpkin with brown sugar on top and eating it.....ALL great food related sensory activities that don't waste food.

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I didn't read all of the replies...I kinda skipped over the "food" debate but I will say, my kiddos are in (and yes, I said "IN" ) a sensory tub as soon as they can sit up.

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