I yearn when I see sensory tubs on sites like Counting Coconuts and Totally Tots to create them for JDaniel. The moms add all kinds of wonderful thematic objects for their children to explore to household items like rice, sand or dry beans. There are Easter and spring related tubs all over the learning blogs right now.
JDaniel loves to dig and explore. He would love to find hidden objects in a bin I thought when I first discovered them. I decided I really had to make him one so I did.
I gathered rice and a few object to hide in the bin. Following the directions about sensory bin play I placed a tablecloth under the bin and declared to JDaniel that his was the area the rice would need to stay in. It was okay if it came out of the bin, but it needed to stay on the cloth. The other moms said this would keep the mess in one area.
Someone forgot to mention that my son would think it was fun to see how faraway the rice could get from the tablecloth before his mom announced it was time to put the bin away. The activity wasn’t supposed to be stress out mom and it get rid of the bin it was supposed to be enjoy exploring it.
I decided I needed to rethink this idea. Maybe larger objects would be better. I wouldn’t be stressed out about all the rice I kept finding all over the kitchen for days and JDaniel would get to take part in this wonderful learning opportunity that children across the web seemed to enjoy.
Before I could plan a bin, JDaniel got a hold of birdseed I had placed in a plastic tub with some vases while cleaning out the space under the kitchen sink. He had a wonderful time with the birdseed. It went everywhere including into the vases. Pouring is a basic life skill. He was learning something I thought as I scrubbed under the sink trying to ignore the pinging of the birdseed across the tile floor. I was reminded when I finished under the sink that sweeping is a life skill I will continue to get a lot of practice at.
I finally planned a tub using noodles in the bin and some scoops and construction equipment. He loves construction equipment! I decided noodles were big enough objects to find and clean up. JDaniel played with it a little. He didn’t really get interested in it until his friend Bryce came over and decided he liked it. Maybe playing in tubs just isn’t his thing.
This has led me to an epiphany. I want to be a relaxed mom that doesn’t break into a sweat when I find rice, birdseed and noodles all over the kitchen, but I probably am not that mom. Sensory tubs just stress me out.
I am going to keeping trying to work on this quirk in my personality. It may require playing classical music in the background while sipping on a tall glass of sweet tea to do it, but I do want to be able to have JDaniel enjoy super messy activities and not worry about the clean up.
I have the same problem! On top of my son wanting to go crazy in it sometimes he still puts things in his mouth. After playing with it I’m still finding beads around the house. So now I stick with water, measuring cups and sponges..lol
I would like to be better about stuff like this, too. I’m slightly OCD. But I need to find a way to get over it since #3 is on the way. Oy! Glad to know I’m not alone either way!
I’m not that mom anymore either. I have sparks of “chill mom” when I let little man paint with spaghetti or something awesome & messy ~ but those are the exception and not the rule. Like Crisc we do a lot of water dump & fill.
So, so fun. I admit I hate the mess.
The mess stresses me out too! =) I’m working on it as well.
I do fine with sensory tubs, because Gabriela isn’t too messy with them. She has dumped them a few times, but the mess stays in one place. However, I am like this with other things …like paint for example. I’m a horrible mom when it comes to paint–my kids don’t get to paint very often, and yet, I think it’s a great activity for little ones to do! It doesn’t help that most of our house is carpeted. Up until last fall, even our kitchen had carpet. I let my kids use their moon sand in the house ONE time, and now it never gets used–I hate the stuff. Anyway…I know how you feel.
This reminds me of the time I got out rice for the boys to play with, using little trucks, tractors, etc. I had put a blanket down on the floor first, but as you can imagine, the rice did not stay on the blanket. I decided that was NOT an activity we needed to regularly participate in! Maybe when it’s warm enough to do it outside where I don’t have to worry about crunchy grains of rice showing up for days afterward! 🙂
I really like your point about being a relaxed mom who is focused more on creating happy memories for the child than on having a picture-perfect home. So good! However, I think there’s another side to this. I know how I am when I see something in Blogland. I immediately think, “Oh, that’s such a good idea; I should try that!” Or, “Because that works well for that mom and her family, we have to do that, too.” Or, “Clearly my kids will be impaired if I don’t let them play with sensory tubs, because everyone else is doing it!” 😉 Sometimes it’s OK to just say, “Hey, that’s not me. I’m not that kind of mom. I don’t want to have rice under my feet. I’ll make sure my child has plenty of other rich learning experiences that don’t involve so much crunchy rice!” 🙂 And then the tough part–to feel OK about that and not to let the comparison and guilt creep in.
Does that make sense?
I’m not saying at all that that is what you do. I’m just confessing my own heart too many times. “Well, if Blogger A, B, and C are doing these things, I have to do them, too!” Know what I mean? 🙂
I’m with you on that too. After having to clean out my sewing room when the boys got into a tub of seed and spread it all over sensory bins went the way of the Dodo.
Try keeping the sensory tub the same for awhile – making it too much of a novel idea and changing it too often can get the child too excited. Keeping the sensory play the same and only slightly modifying over time will lead to the sensory tub being less new each time so the play will become more calm and focused. This is a sensory tub that I like because it is deeper and I can set it on the floor where I want it. Take birdseed and other sensory items like that out doors:) http://www.teachpreschool.org/2011/02/a-simple-sensory-table-for-preschoolers/
I don’t usually do sensory tubs, in fact I think our current one is our first…and last! Our entire downstairs is a playroom and so far, the Easter grass has at least stayed downstairs. All over, but at least downstairs. I’m all for the outside stuff instead!
We’ve never done a sensory tub. Everytime I see them I just can’t imagine pulling all that stuff together…and it would end up all over the house. There are plenty of other fun things we do and I’ve never felt my kids suffered for it.
I awarded you the Versatile Blogger award! You can find it here: http://honeypieaccessories.blogspot.com/2011/04/versatile-blogger.html
I haven’t even tried to make one of these. We already have so much of a mess around here… but maybe I could make one we keep in the garage…
I would just take it outside and let sensory tubs be an on-the-porch-only thing. 😉
On the porch – that’s what I would do. I stress a little, but outside would be great – good luck!
With a baby who puts everything into his mouth, I have to be careful of all the little, chokeable pieces where he can get to them. So, we do our sensory tubs outside on our back deck or driveway for now. Also, getting a small handbroom and dustpan and having my daughter clean up her own mess has helped keep her from making it the next time.
I am waaay more laid back as a mom than I ever thought I would be. Everytime something happens when my mom is around she will just look at me in shock because I never react the way she thought I would!
We pull out our sensory bin for the girls to dig for dinosaurs occasionally but the clean-up is a hassle especially if they are playing in a large open area like the kitchen. I am looking forward to warmer weather so we can take it outside.
I know what you mean, I used to get crazy when my kids messed up the house, but I had a friend who used to let her kids draw with chocolate pudding!
We all have different tolerance levels and that, in itself, is a good lesson for children to learn!
Oh yes, definitely would be less stress if the sensory tubs are played outside… like the water play and bubble toys… Have a wonderful week!
Blessings & Aloha!
Just leaving a “hi” because I’m not a mom, so it’s hard for me to add to the conversation. 🙂
Hmmm. My hands get sweaty just thinking of the possible mess. Definitely sounds like an outdoors activity to me. :))
Maybe you could find one of those things they use in atomic plants where you stick your hands in these gloves and then you can play with the items but they never leave the box. I bet JDaniel would have fun with that and no mess.
Good heavens, what a good mother you are!
I always saved the really messy play for outside and my grown-up kids haven’t complained. I do remember, though, lining the hall floor with waxed paper and then letting our then-small son and his friend play with play dough up and down its length. It was a hit and something I repeated in bad weather.
I’ve never heard of sensory tubs! That’s what happens when you don’t have children… I’d probably get lost with noodles of different shapes and colors… Sounds fun! {:-Deb
I wish I had a little more fight in me when it comes to messes. That being said, these sounds like a ton of fun. You just have to weigh whether it is worth the mess.
I love sandboxes. Hubs hates them. But I am willing to clean up the mess because I think there is a lot of benefit to allowing my kids to build and imagine. Cleaning the mess is no biggie.
Leggos, I hate them. Hubs doesn’t. He cleans it up.
Good luck!
I want to be a relaxed mom too…but most of the time I am not! :-/ …working on that too!
Eek, I admit that if it’s messy, I avoid it too. I feel like I’m *always* cleaning.
For me it is the playdough clean up that I dread. It gets ground into the carpets and rarely makes it back in the plastic containers. I try to let them play and make a mess every few weeks. Hoping they outgrow it soon!
What about keeping the tubs as an outdoor activity??
I think it’s a great idea to use sensory tubs outdoors if you find them stressful indoors. And sensory tubs aren’t essential. They’re wonderful and a lot of Montessori homeschoolers use them … but you won’t find one in a typical Montessori preschool. Sensorial experiences are essential for young children, but there are non-messy ones!
I think you have to find what works well for you and your unique child. There are SO MANY great activities and ideas online – but it would obviously be impossible to do them all. You do lots of awesome activities with JDaniel! You can be proud of all you do – and don’t worry about the rest! Deb @ LivingMontessoriNow.com
I think the whole idea behind the sensory tub is pretty neat. However, I’m just like you and I would be incredibly stressed over trying to keep the house clean while E played with the tub.
You are a good mom! The sensory tub sounds neat, and you are a good sport to give it a try.
My DIL seems entirely comfortable with mess-making in the house, and I think it’s great. However, I was not as relaxed about such things.
😉
This is a most interesting idea. I am going to tell my son about this activity for the twins. My post is a repeat, so you will see a comment from you on it.
Aaah! I totally agree! Sensory bins are scary. They only reason I did them as a school teacher is that the janitor could help me clean them up. (Am I horriable?) I have a water table and I do sensory things in that and I do it out side. Birdseeds outside- Perfect! That way when things get everywhere it doesn’t bother me as much. (But I totally agree sensory bins are over rated!)
This is such a cool idea! My 3 yr old is a very touchy touchy kid … likes to have her hands in the mixture when we bake (aaaarrrrrggghhh) and likes to feel how things feel … she would LOOOOOVE this … I would probably have to make it an outside thing – I get too stressed out by mess!
What a great idea. My kids are grown and they would have loved this!
Instead I gave them pots and pans and spoons to bang with, and plastic containers to stack and unstack. I guess that’s the dark ages now!
I’m your new follower.
Barb
I think I would be with you. Finding small things all over the house would make me nuts. Sounds like a great outSIDE project to me! Especially if you used birdseed. Then it would be a double project as you counted all the birds afterwards!
Thanks for a neat link to Alphabet Soup!
A+
I’ve wanted to try this but can’t handle the stress. We tried gardening outside and the potting soil that was flying in all directions was too much! I guess my son is destined to suffer a boring non-sensory tub existence!
lol, i have not attempted this yet…
but, when we do, it will totally be an outside only activity!!!!
LOL! How did I miss seeing this post? Want to something? I get totally stressed out about the mess too! I have to walk away and not look while Aiden is playing in the tubs because I will just stand behind him, broom in hand, cleaning the flying rice, etc. (which I’m guessing kind of kills the fun of a sensory tub!)From a distance I hear the fun he is having ~ rice going everywhere but, also him using his imagination, creating stories, etc.
I would think he enjoyed you making him a sensory tub. I wish my mother would of done something like that for me when I was young. It’s better to try your own than spend $$ for already made one. Lots of fun and a nice learning experience for your son.