Not sure where to set up sensory play? We get this question often. There are a few things to consider, but know that there's really no wrong answer and we don't want this to stop you from trying out options. One good plastic storage container from the dollar store, could be all you need! Check out some idea images below.
From classroom, personal, and business experience, knowing your little ones and sharing expectations with them, is the biggest factor for successful play.
- Height of a container's sides, help to contain base material spills. Usually our kiddos that need more practice with motor control, match better with a container that has more depth.
- Different surfaces offer different sound experiences. Playing with our rainbow rice will sound differently in a plastic container versus a tin baking sheet, or a wood serving tray. This is something to consider for our little ones that seek or avoid auditory input.
- Overall size of the container can make play for multiple kids, easier or more complicated. We think bigger is better when it comes to play for more than one child.
- Ease and convenience of container storage, will usually make sensory play that much more of a regular activity. If accessing or cleaning the container is tedious, we're less likely to want our kids to even play with their kit.
- Cost is something to consider. We can find practical, and even beautiful, containers everywhere from the dollar store, department store, or your own kitchen.
When starting a Sense of Play Co, we considered and experimented with different aspects of what we would physically offer with our kits. As ease and simplicity is such a big goal for us, we knew our "container" was so important. But the question was do we provide a storage container, a play container, or something that could be used as both. Long story short, we chose our PlayPail for storage. And we're still so happy we did! The PlayPail offers a compact option for shipping, storage at home (or the classroom), for little hands to handle on their own, and for easy travel. As each play opportunity can be so different and unique, we knew tying our kits to one type of play container wasn't the most convenient. So just pour out the PlayPail onto your favorite container to start, and pour it all back at the end. We hope to make sensory play as easy peasy as possible!
