this is one of the best things i’ve done this year. so often i’ve wished for a really shallow sensory table type tub that can’t be slid off the table, etc. one day i realized that one of our hula hoops would fit perfectly on top of one of our small tables.
so, hula hoop + duct tape = table with an edge!
we change it out every week and have had great success with it being a standing work space. (and this table full of goodness is a combination of my personal dice collection and a huge bag of thrifted game pieces. score!)
this week we also had ribbon hanging down over the table for snipping practice.
our tiny fingers really get a work out (i think i worked for almost 10 seconds to pick up a teeny googly eye one day).
we had a sinking/floating experiment on here one day (no photo!), so i taped on towels for hand drying.
talk about an opportunity for cooperative play…there are six children around this tiny table!
newcreationpreschool.com 
This is a great idea! Thanks for sharing!! I always find great ideas here!!
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I am also curious about the structure of your day. I teach at a playbased preschool and I am really curious how other similar schools structure their day. I am trying to figure out a way to make it really fun and also help the pre-k kids move foreward with their reading, math, writing. Love to know how you work this out, especially in a multi-age classroom.
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You’re full of amazing ideas aren’t you? Love these sensory ideas.
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All kinds of brilliant!
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That is SUCH a good idea Kristen!
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I love this idea. I have a question for you …. are activities like this 100% optional, do you just have them out as an option or do you try to encourage everyone to at some point participate in it throughout the week? Or do you insist every one does it for awhile. I’d love any input on this topic for activities like this that you have out for kids.
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totally 100% optional. having said that, if it seems that someone is having trouble “landing” on a constructive activity, i might encourage her to come see it. i’ll also make announcements during the day highlighting what is happing at the table. it is located close to the entrance of the room, so visibility is high. : ) during our work-time there are no required activities. this means that some preschoolers might spend all their free time with a single train car on the rug. we structure in group times where i find a way to get everyone to participate (projects, story telling, poems, experiments, games, brainstorming, etc). thanks for asking!
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