A Forest Sensory Table is a great way to bring the beauty of the forest right into your preschool classroom! Here’s how to set up a Forest Themed Sensory Table, along with some fun literacy and math activities.
Setting Up the Forest Sensory Table
For the filler, I used kinetic sand, which the children love to play with and feel! You could also use regular sand, colored rice, pom-poms, oats, or shredded paper as alternate options.
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To create the woodland scene, I added:
- Tree slices and branch pieces (these Tree Blocks have been sanded smooth for safe play)
- Wooden trees and wooden mushrooms
- Fabric leaves from the craft store. Use green leaves or swap them for fall-colored leaves.
- River rocks
- Small plastic forest animals. (These came from a Forest Safari Ltd Toob.)
Children can explore the forest sensory table in different ways. They can use it as a playscape or small world, or you can add scoops and measuring cups to encourage volume exploration. You can also add scoops, tongs, and tweezers to build fine motor skills.
Switch It Up for Fall
Want to make your sensory table match the season? Just swap the green leaves for fall-colored leaves. I used some “fall confetti” from the craft store to create an autumn scene.
Adding Literacy to the Forest Sensory Table
Here are some ways to bring in early literacy skills to add an educational layer to the fun.
Letter Matching:
I found some small leaves in a pack of “leaf confetti” at the craft store. I also found these small wooden tree circles in a pack — these are about 1 inch, but they vary in size. I wrote letters on the tree circles and the matching letters on the leaves so that children can practice matching the letters.
Spelling Names:
Children can use the lettered tree circles or leaves to spell their names and their friends’ names. Provide name cards that children can use if needed.
Beginning Sound Match:
Pair the lettered tree circles with the forest animals in the sensory table. Can they match the “F” to fox or the “D” to deer? It’s a fun way to practice beginning sounds while playing.
Adding Math to the Forest Sensory Table
Here are some ways to add early math skills to your forest play!
Counting
Write numbers on the tree circles and have children count out that many leaves or forest animals. It’s a perfect way to work on counting and one-to-one correspondence.
Sorting
Children can classify the items by type – rocks, leaves, animals – or sort them by size.
Comparing Quantities
Use the large tree circles to compare amounts – place different numbers on two circles. Children can count out the matching number of items (leaves or animals) to place on each circle.
Setting up a Forest Sensory Table is an easy and effective way to bring learning and fun together. It’s a fantastic hands-on activity that will engage your preschoolers while working on important skills. Have fun!