Sometimes parents worry that sensory tubs will be difficult to prepare … especially ones with an obvious educational theme. That doesn’t have to be the case.
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“Antique” Sensory Tub
Even though sensory tubs weren’t popular back in 1988, my son loved his excavation sensory tubs. We called them “cornmeal sandboxes” and just used cornmeal and various objects to “excavate.” We had a fossil collection and rocks and minerals collection similar to the sets from Montessori Services.
Will at age 3 with an “Antique” Excavation Sensory Tub, 1988
The fossil collection was one of Will’s 3rd birthday presents. When Will had just turned 3, I buried the fossils or rocks and minerals, and he dug them up. We talked about the names when he unearthed them.
Later, we added matching cards. Will just had fun with these excavation activities. Note: If you’re wondering about the mess, the pile of cornmeal really didn’t end up all over. The cornmeal that accidentally spilled over was easy to clean up with a little broom and dustpan (a fun practical life activity for Will).
Dinosaur Excavation
This is an example of another type of excavation sensory tub that can be very simple to prepare. This is from my “Montessori-Inspired Dinosaur Activities Using Dinosaur Replicas” post.
It uses a shoebox-size tub from the Dollar Tree, sand, the Safari Ltd. Dinosaur Skulls TOOB, and free Dinosaurs Set 1 and inexpensive Dinosaurs Set 2 cards from Montessori Print Shop. You can use the matching cards or, again, just have your child excavate dinosaur skulls, dinosaur skeletons, dinosaur figures, or whatever you want to bury in the sensory tub. You can add various digging tools and a magnifying glass according to what you have available.
You’ll find more examples of simple excavation activities in the excerpt in my post “Make Fossils from Montessori at Home!”
Rock and Mineral Excavation
For sensory tubs, you can often reuse many of the same materials. This excavation sensory tub uses the sensory tub from the dinosaur skull excavation and the amethyst from the Little Passports package in my “Montessori-Inspired Little Passports Activities – Brazil.” It also uses two rocks from my yard. You could easily just use rocks from your yard or ones found on a nature hike. Matching cards are optional, or you can print out cards like the free printable linked to in my post.
Rock and Mineral Excavation Sensory Tub
These sorts of sensory tubs can easily fit into a unit study, or they can be used on their own as a fun learning activity. If you enjoy making a small-world habitat or elaborate sensory tub, that’s awesome. But you don’t need to feel bad if your sensory tub is as simple as my “cornmeal sandbox” was. Children often love very simple sensory boxes just as much as elaborate ones.
Have fun! 🙂
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I love how everything is so neatly put together to make a fun activity a learning activity as well. I have definitely pinned these for both our dinosaur unit and rocks and minerals unit. I just hope the cards at Montessori Print Shop are challenging enough for my own Dinomite. Dinosaurs were his first BIG autism obsession. It’s very rare to teach him something new in that area. 🙂
Thanks so much, Renae! It does sound like it isn’t easy to find dinosaur materials that are challenging enough for your son. The Montessori Print Shop cards have quite a few facts on them, so hopefully there will be some that are new to your son. 🙂
Love the variety of themes/activities you can do within an “excavation sensory tub” like this!
Thanks, Caroline! They really are fun (and a great way for both parents and kids to be creative) aren’t they?! 🙂
This is a great idea for taking the sensory tub up a level for developing children and I like the idea of using cornmeal for several reasons, mess, expense, and you could mold it the night before to make it more difficult to “excavate.” Great post!
Thanks so much, Catherine! Molding the excavation sensory tub would be fun … and add even more interest. 🙂
Great play activity that will teach not only sensory but also science. Love it. Thanks for the great play idea…
Thanks for your kind comment, Jim! I love activities that work in more than one curriculum areas. 🙂
Love this. Pinned and shared on my Facebook page, and I have a feeling will be doing this soon.
Thanks so much, Jen! I really appreciate your sharing my post. 🙂
Thanks for sharing with us. You do such an amazing job!
check out my giveaway.
Thanks so much, Patty! I’m entered in your giveaway. 🙂
What fun sensory work! Thank you for sharing at Sharing Saturday!!
I love this idea! My son would struggle with the sand put he would be able to feel through some shaving foam, so we will try that!
We had these when I was a kid. My first grade teacher used one of these boxes to help us understand fossils and dinosaurs. Hands on learning like this is so key to a child’s development. It made me want to be a construction worker when I was young.
An interesting article. Thanks for sharing