Sensory table

Have you every played with play dough or felt the soft, smooth texture of corn meal? Once you start, it's hard to stop. There is something therapeutic and soothing about sensory play. 
Most children are naturally attracted to sensory experiences. They just can't help themselves. They learn with all of their senses as they explore and learn. The sensory table at preschool provides ample opportunities for children to do this very thing - explore and discover using their senses, especially the sense of touch. 
Sensory table play encourages these skills: math, science, language development, social/emotional, approaches to learning, creativity, physical development and more! And it can be messy, but it sure is enjoyable!
According to High Scope Curriculum (http://www.highscope.org/file/newsandinformation/extensions/extvol25no5_low.pdf), "Sensory play contributes in crucial ways to brain development. Think of it as “food for the brain.” Stimulating the senses sends signals to children’s brains that help to strengthen neural pathways important for all types of learning. For example, as children explore sensory materials, they develop their sense of touch, which lays the foundation for learning other skills, such as identifying objects by touch, and using fine-motor muscles.The materials children work with at the sand and water table have many sensory attributes — they may be warm or cool, wet or dry, rough or smooth, hard or soft, textured or slimy. Discovering and differentiating these characteristics is a first step in classification, or sorting — an important part of preschoolers’ science learning and discovery."
By providing sensory experiences for young children, we are helping them learn and grow in many ways. They are scooping and pouring different mediums (water, sand, corn meal, rice, etc.), but they are also gaining other skills as well. I enjoy watching and encouraging the learning that takes place at the sensory table. It's neat to ask questions that will help children problem solve and find the answer on their own through discovery. Usually the item in the sensory table becomes something else, like cake, pie or macaroni and cheese. Give children an item and they will create something new.

It's dusty. A little messy.
It gets on the floor.
It's all part of the learning.

These girls stayed here most of the time.
And their little faces were dusty.