Child Care Resource & Referral Center

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CURRICULUM CORNER

PRESCHOOL

ARE YOU USING YOUR SAND AND WATER TABLE EVERY DAY? Using sensory tables or bins in your program (indoors and outdoors) promotes learning in all areas of development and learning. While playing with sand, water and other sensory materials children can explore in a variety of ways. They can explore their senses of touch, smell, sight and sound as they scoop pour sift and splash. Children can create structures in wet sand, they can give a baby a bath in soapy water or dive for buried treasures.

Science: Children can investigate with the concept of floating and sinking, wet vs dry, and see how water pressure works. They can compare textures and properties of different materials such as sand, and soil. They learn to explore, observe, classify and compare. Math: Children learn number concepts when measuring and exploring concepts of more and less. They make patterns and explore geometry when provided with objects and materials to explore. Language and Literacy: Help expand children’s vocabulary as you introduce materials such as funnels and sieves. Provide a variety of materials that are grainy, gritty and other things and provide children with the vocabulary that aligns to what they are experiencing. Provide books that correspond the materials explored. Physical: Working with props to pour, scoop and sift and squeeze children develop their fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination. They use their gross motor skills when they carry buckets of sand or water. Social-Emotional: Playing in sand and water can be a soothing and calming activity for some children when they are agitated or upset. Also, working with other children they can learn to cooperate as they explore.

Things to Consider: Have smocks available to protect clothing Place tables or bins on washable floors or use mats underneath Place near a water source for easy clean-up As a variation you can provide children with small individual tubs for children who might want to quietly explore on their own

ITEMS TO ADD TO YOUR WATER/SAND TABLE

Sterilized play sand Buckets Measuring spoons and cups Funnels Squirt bottles Basters Shells Plastic animals and insects Pine cones Leaves Balls Counting bears Cars Sticks Straws

Tongs, Tweezers Eye droppers Sponges Bottle brushes Colanders Corks Fishing bobbers Fishnets Dolls Pulleys Scales Scoops Soap

Foam letters or shapes Food coloring gardening tools Tubing Magnifying glass Paintbrushes, muffin tins Pebbles Soil Toothbrushes Boats Waer wheels Snow Ice Flowers grass

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MCCCRRC, a program within Montgomery County Department of Health & Human Services, ensuring all children enter school ready to learn! MCCCRRC is a member agency of the Maryland Child Care Resource Network with funding provided by Maryland Family Network. This publication was produced in part as a work for hire for the benefit of, and with funds from, the Maryland State Department of Education. 2018 Network Compliant Policy