Sensory Table Ideas For Preschool: Exciting Dinosaur Small World

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Inside: Get idea how to make exciting dinosaur small world sensory table play for learning and play.

On one of our road trips the beautiful Badlands canyon revealed in front of us. Scenery was completely different from the prairie we drove through for hours. Looked like we arrived on another planet. I told to my 3-year old that is the place where dinosaurs wandered long, long time ago.

She was quiet, thinking or a moment in a back car seat, she said:

-‘That was when I was in your tummy?”

-“No, that was way before you were in my tummy. That was at time when there was no people on the earth, only dinosaurs” – I answered.

-“Where did all people go?”…… she started.

That brought up her curiosity and new “why” on every answer we gave to her.

Sensory table and dinosaur small world preschool

It may be hard for a young child to pick up concept that dinosaurs lived a long time ago when there was no people on earth.

Story about dinosaurs was totally new to my daughter what gave me signal about new learning activities we have to do next.

I didn’t plan this sensory table idea at first, it came spontaneously when my friend Rosie Little Fish inspired me with her dinosaur world in a box. Seemed so fun to play with. But I wanted to extend the play.

I found a perfect Dinosaurs board book to start our teachings. Hello world series of books explains on a such simple way world around us and nature concepts that can be hard to understand for kids, like weather, solar system, bugs, birds etc.

After ocean small world that we set up recently, I got another sensory table idea – small dinosaur world play.

There are no strict instructions and materials you need to use.

You need a big bin, water table or sand table, we used sand table (took of its legs so table sits on a ground as my daughter was climbing on it all the time). If you can, good idea is to pick a space in your backyard or garden. That will make your dinosaur habitat scenery half done.

Next, gather branches, tree trunks, leafs, small plants (if you have) , stones and rocks, grass… anything you have on hand will be good.

Bring out dinosaur toys and invite your toddler to read a book, talk a bit about dinosaur habitats and food they ate. Book that we got nicely explains several dinosaur species and has little notes for each of them, revealing interesting facts.

Set up dinosaur sensory table together and have fun playing.

After few days of playing on our deck we made paper mache volcano project. Also interesting to a kids and opportunity to start STEM activities from a young age.

Have fun playing and learning with these dinosaur sensory table ideas for preschool and toddlers. And hope you have good answer ready to a ” Where did all people go? “

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