Fall Sensory Table

Fall Sensory Table Ideas – set up an autumn tablescape for toddlers and preschoolers to explore the textures, colours and wonders of fall.

With October on the horizon, I’ll be sharing all the Fall activities we’ve been doing. To start, we combined mirror play with our Fall Sensory Table this week.  The hooligans have really enjoyed exploring the colours, and textures of various fall items on a reflective surface.

What is a Sensory Table?

If you’re not familiar with benefits of sensory play, please read Teach Preschool’s “Every Day Sensory Play in Preschool“.

Adding a mirror for play:

Earlier in the Fall, I kept our table outside with the items displayed on a mirror.  Mirror play adds an interesting dimension to an activity like this.  See other ways we’ve used our mirror for play: sensory play on our mirror and painting clouds on a mirror .

Suggested Materials for a Fall Sensory Table:

All of these items were thrift-shop finds or found around my home and yard; a sensory activity doesn’t have to cost a lot of money.

We’ve used:

• leaf-shaped candles
• artificial leaves and flowers
• small gourds and decorative balls
• Indian corn
• large plastic gems
• small plastic apples.

You could also add real leaves, seed pods, chestnuts, acorns, mini pumpkins and corn kernels.  Choose items with interesting colours, shapes, patterns and textures.

Tools for exploring at a sensory table:

Offer a variety of tools to promote fine motor development, and containers for sorting and transferring your treasures into.

We have wooden bowls, containers and trays, and of course, a muffin tin is always fun.

Tongs, tweezers and scoops help to prepare a child for using pencils and scissors, and using them requires co-ordination and concentration.

Now that the weather is cooler, I’ve moved our Fall Sensory Table items indoors on a table in my living room. Over the past several weeks the hooligans have spent hours at the table, chatting and playing and exploring the beauty of Fall.

At the end of the day, I simply re-arrange and tidy it up a little and leave it set out as a Fall display in our home.

How are you exploring Autumn in your home?  Do you have a Fall Sensory Table?  I’d love to hear about it if you do!

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Jackie Currie

Jackie is a mom, wife, home daycare provider, and the creative spirit behind Happy Hooligans. She specializes in kids’ crafts and activities, easy recipes, and parenting. She began blogging in 2011, and today, Happy Hooligans inspires more than 2 million parents, caregivers and Early Years Professionals all over the globe.