- because siblings and friends don't always want to play together in the same space (let us all recall the aftermath of the 3 Beans Fight of 2019...oy, I shudder when I think of stepping upon another lentil...)
- because sometimes you have a small amount of a particular sensory play material
- because sometimes you do want more than one type of filler out but you don't want them to necessarily intermingle (or at least right away)
All of these factors played into my desire to set up a split side sensory table this week using kinetic sand and kinetic rock for a simple but playful Digging in the Dirt bin. I had only a small amount of each material and could already foresee the challenges of S and Y both trying to play with one at the very same time in the large basin of our sensory table. I also only have that larger sensory table. So when it came to setting up a split side activity, I got creative on a shoestring budget and used some clear 5.5Qt Sterilite file boxes I have at home. These are inexpensively found in office supply stores or the office supply aisle of Walmart. They are great for tabletop or traveling messy play and work amazingly on top of the light table for this purpose as well. I've used them to transport sensory play activities to the nature based playgroup I run during the spring and summer months and, um, I guess you can use them for file storage, too! The final benefit to these is the snap on lid--great for easy travel and also for closing up shop in between play sessions (especially for materials that may dry out).
I kept our setup very simple. The kinetic sand had a collection of plastic cars (I love these since they are dishwasher safe and easy to clean) and the kinetic rock had a set of construction themed toys that actually came all together (an impulse buy from Toys r'Us when they were going out of business last year).
The boys played so nicely side by side and we even took the bins outside to play on a whim after their nap one evening. Boy was it ever easy to snap and go with these little boxes as opposed to shlepping the whole sensory table out front alongside two eager little construction workers underfoot! And if you don't have a sensory table at all or the space for one, I can't recommend these little file boxes enough. They stack away neatly (even under a bed) and can also store your sensory materials in between use. In a classroom or home setup, it can be a real lifesaver to have a few of these ready to grab and go on an unexpected rainy day.
What about mixing of materials? It happens. S actually asked if he could mix the two together and I explained that once they were mixed you couldn't unmix them. I am, however, thinking a little science experiment at the very end of our go with this might be fun since a little bit of mixing is kind of inevitable and kinetic rock sand might just catch on!
I love that we do have the space here (albeit limited) to keep sensory play a part of our daily routine. I also find that I am constantly striving to reinvent the wheel and get more and more creative and elaborate with my table setups. It helps to remember that simple is still fun and that less is often more. If a setup does need more, trust me, your little players will let you know! S usually asks before adding things in. Y is a little sneakier. For little construction work lovers, a transportation theme or a community helpers theme, a small collection of cars and trucks really inside of some play sand, dough, dirt, dried beans or rice, coffee grounds or gravel really is enough to encourage and spark meaningful play. Whether you're digging inside, outdoors or on the go, it's a pretty safe guarantee that you're little ones will be happy playing!
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