Sensory Tables offer toddlers and preschoolers a chance to discover how different materials work in real-world situations: how sand flows out of a cup, how things act when you put them under water, how marbles react when they bump into each other. Most importantly, they allow kids to have fun while learning, which is a driving principle of many preschools.
This weeks PVC Plan Friday presents a very sturdy and easy to build Sand and Water Table, which is a leak-proof Sensory Table that can be used at home, in preschools or for kids' events and parties.
The Sand and Water Table isn't limited to just sand and water. I can be used for a large number of activities:
- Excavate ‘Dinosaur Bones’ using a paint brush with Dog Biscuits hidden under the sand.
- Add dish liquid to a small amount of water in the bin to discover how bubbles are made.
- Fill with a layer rice and add plastic alphabet letters. Have toddlers pick out each letter with tongs and say the name of the letter.
- Fill with medium sized rocks and use a paint brush to ‘paint’ the rocks with water. Children will notice how the colors of the rocks change as water is applied.
- Use with Legos and K’nex toys to act as a mess-free bin.
- Use PVC pipe and fittings to create tubes and angles that water can be poured into.
Construction of the PVC Sand and Water Table Plan uses standard 1 in. Schedule 40 PVC pipe, with 3-Way Elbows, PVC Tees, and PVC 4-Way Tee fittings. 1 in. External PVC End Caps are used on the bottom of the legs to provide a smooth stable surface.
The water compartment itself is a standard off-the-shelf storage bin available at most stores sold in the US. While our particular plan uses a Hefty Storage Solutions 34 Qt (31.1L) bin, most bins will work without any need to change the plan. Be sure to pick up the lid that comes with the bin, you can use then when storing the contents of the table.
You can view our free PVC Sand and Water Table Plan in our Kids PVC Plans section, or view this link direct to the plan.
