Magnets, metal & black beans?

This week our sensory table features black beans. I love the black color of the beans and how they make the colors of the other objects inside pop. After an initial period of just exploring the beans with spoons and bowls, I decided to change out the pouring materials for some metal and non metal objects.

 I added metallic materials like washers, clips, screws and other miscellaneous objects. Also added were nonmetallic items like plastic and wood.

As the children played we discussed what kinds of materials stuck to the magnets. The metal did, the plastic and wood did not. 

The end! 

adding a chute to the sensory table

A few posts ago, I blogged about the dividers in our sensory table. This week we added a chute to the mix which added pitch and a level change.

The children enjoyed watching the rice and beans pour down the chute:

and watching it come out the end:

The children enjoyed this very much. Usually they worked in tandem, with someone scooping the mixture into the chute and someone catching it at the other end.

The end!

transporting through dividers in the sensory table

I learned about the blog, Sand and Water Tables from Teacher Tom. I was immediately drawn to the idea of creating more three dimensional ways to transport objects.

To begin I created cardboard dividers with doors and windows. They transported rice and beans using shovels and small containers.

Children of all ages were drawn to the table. I always find it challenging to engage my 5-year-olds who have been in the program for three years because they've seen it all. Thrice.

The dividers challenged children to take turns transferring through windows. It encouraged conversation and imaginative play through the doors and windows (knock knock, who is it?). Children had to problem solve when they emptied their quadrant of rice and beans.

This was the initial conversation that ensued:

-I opened the door.
-I want to pour it over the top
-(knocking) Are you there?
- A water fall!
-(knocking) You may not come in!
-Incoming!
-I like this. I'll do it every day. (Indeed he has!)

The end!

lentils in the sensory table

 I think lentils are my new favorite. They feel good in my hands. They pour so nicely. I think the children agree.

In this photo the children found the funnel with a wide enough opening to allow the lentils to pass through. They discovered using a funnel makes pouring lentils into the empty bottle makes filling it go much faster.

Lentils are also fun to haul:

Sometimes they get away from us, but working together to use the broom to clean them up is fun, too:

grinding corn with the mortar and pestles

We received a gift of corn kernels from Ms. Kelly and Ms. Beth after they were finished using them in their room. Score! We poured them in our sensory table and added some for grinding in the mortars. We quickly discovered that the less kernals in the mortar the easier it is to grind. 

The end!