I recently asked my husband if he could build a small sensory table that would allow a plastic tote box to fit inside it. I gave him a few rough ideas about height and he got to work. Using only scrap wood, this is what he came up with.
My four year old has been loving our “new” sensory table. While the wood didn’t look great to begin with, thanks to some wood filler and paint I think it looks pretty good now.
I wanted to show you the top of the table. My husband cut out a hole just barely big enough for the tote box I had.
It is tight fit which is great for not allowing the rice and beans to get under the lip of the box.
My husband would have preferred to use 2×4’s, but I told him just to use only wood he had. The table is lightweight, but so far seems like it will be sturdy enough to withstand much use.
The height of the table is 23 inches. There is a small lip around the top so that the rice and beans will stay on to table, unless they are flung with force from the box straight to the floor. (Remind me to put a sheet or something under the table.) 🙂
The top of the table is 25 inches by 27 inches, so it isn’t quite a perfect square. The container I used was a Sterlite container that measured 20 inches x 13 inches x 5 inches.
When we aren’t using the table we put the lid on the top of the box. I will keep the beans and rice in it for now, but I can always change either the box or its contents whenever.
Joseph is tall for a 4 year old, but I think the height would be good for younger/shorter children. Janna is 1 year old and the table comes to her neck. That is fine because she is still putting things in her mouth so I am not quite ready to let her play with it yet.
Do you have a sensory table? I think we are going to love ours.