The tables are filled with a fine, white sand.
Before you see what happens, you have to understand what is the first and primary operation the children have to complete: transporting all the loose elements into the sensory tables. And the most attractive of those loose elements are the gems.
Once everything is in the table, then the children get down to the job of exploring and manipulating the loose elements. So what does that look like?
It is a guarantee, though, that before long, everything is in the table.
Once everything is in the table, then the children get down to the job of exploring and manipulating the loose elements. So what does that look like?
A solitary gem balanced on the head of a bolt.
Gems---plus one rock---arranged on an up-turned pot.
A "house" made by balancing sticks, gems, and rocks on top of an over-turned pail.
A rock and gem forest
Besides the transportation and arrangements of the loose elements, there are a myriad of other operations the children execute. Some of those operations are common and look similar no matter which child effects them.
One such operation is collecting gems. The child in the picture below prefers clear ones.
And there are common operations that can be actualized quite differently. One of those is burying the gems. Though most children will simply pour sand over the rocks to bury them quickly, watch how the child in the video below buries the gems one-by-one with delicate precision.
And then there is the not-so-common operation carried out by one child. The child in the video below took a liking to one particular rock with a small hole. In the video, she shows how each of her fingers can fit in the hole. Watch.
What an excellent way to discover the distinctive feature of this small rock.
What she does next with the rock is simply amazing. She begins to use it as an implement to scoop and pour sand onto a dustpan. Watch.
She has just made the rock a tool, an operation that harkens back to the dawn of man. Amazing!
She has just made the rock a tool, an operation that harkens back to the dawn of man. Amazing!
With such a simple apparatus and these loose elements, how can the children be so creative? Look no further than The Theory of Loose Parts by Simon Nicholson (1972). He says: "In any environment, both the degree of invention and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it." In this case, the environment is small, the sensory table, but still fraught with possibilities when infused with "loose parts."
So the question on my mind is...
ReplyDeleteDo you clear out all of the rocks, gems and sticks each day so they can do it all again on their next visit?
Maureen, the answer is yes. But it is funny you should ask that because just this week I was thinking the children can play a more active role in clearing out the sensory table for the next day. I will let you know how that goes.
ReplyDeleteWe have done similar sensory tables in our home and it's a favorite of ours. Do you allow the children to include other objects? Maybe cars, dolls, animals? Just curious.
ReplyDeleteChildren are always bringing different things into the sensory table. I have one child that always brings cars into the table. For some reason, though, there was not a lot of other things brought to the table with this activity. I think the gems were a real draw.
DeleteDid any of the children just take the tubs of loose parts and dump them in the table? Or did they all take the loose parts by handfuls to transport? Christi
ReplyDeleteChristi, yes there was dumping, but very little When it did happen, that just meant that they started to explore and manipulate sooner. I was actually surprised at how little there was. The children seemed to enjoy transporting from the flat table to the sensory table.
DeleteI have a lot of "collectors" in my class! Do any of the gems go missing?
ReplyDeleteSally, I do not know. I do not seem to have many "collectors" and I do not know why. It seems like I should. Good question.
DeleteTom,
ReplyDeleteYour blog is amazing and it is exactly what my district is wanting our Science learning center to be like. I am a 1st grade teacher and actual have and use a sand and water table in my classroom. I am so excited to have found your blog and am going to explore it!
I am your newest follower and would love for you to come visit me when you get the chance. =)
I am going to share your blog with the ECH director in my district! =)
Heather
Heather's Heart
Thanks for you kind words Heather. I have always thought of my sensory table as a science table---a hands-on science table.
DeleteI now follow your blog, too. Tom