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If you have a toddler, you probably spend a lot of time looking for age-appropriate play ideas which can help to foster your child’s imagination, senses and cognitive abilities. Young children can benefit especially from sensory play activities. Sensory play appeals to the five senses and encourages children to investigate their environment and develop physically, socially, and creatively.

For many sensory play activities, you need a plastic bin for sensory play. So it only makes sense to set one up permanently as part of a DIY sensory play table. Once the table is completed and ready, it can be used for dozens of different activities! Here is how to create one.

Materials:

• One large, shallow plastic tub for sensory table
• A couple of 2x4s
• Paint and primer
• 2” pocket screws
• Chop saw
• Drill and bit
• Sander
• Measuring tape
• Router with rabbet bit
• Paint rollers
• Paint brushes

Directions:

1. Start by measuring the dimensions of the shallow plastic tub, and then cut the boards so that you have enough pieces to build a framework for the table.

2. Drill pocket holes as needed and sand down the boards to get rid of splinters. That way the table will be safe for your toddler to use.

3. Prime and paint the board pieces before you assemble them. A paint roller is the fastest way.

4. Build two ends. Each should consist of four wood pieces joined through the pocket holes using pocket screws.

5. Add cross braces to connect the two ends together.

6. Add a third horizontal cross brace across the bottom to hold the table together and stabilize the base. This is important for safety since you do not want your child to knock over the table while playing and get hurt.

7. Insert the bin into the hollow top of the table. If you did your measuring properly, the boards should hold it in place.

8. At this point, you can touch up your paint and check again for any edges that need additional sanding.

9. Come up with fun sensory activities for your child. The project is now complete and the table is ready to use!

If you search online, you will find that there are literally dozens (perhaps hundreds) of ideas for sensory play activities, many of which use a large, shallow plastic tub like the one you have installed in your handmade table. Sensory play activities are frequently messy, and the plastic bin keeps everything contained. This makes it easy to set up play activities and reduces the time you will spend on cleanup.

Just one activity is often enough to keep a toddler occupied for hours; many children will even get creative and come up with their own ideas as they are playing. That makes a sensory play table one of the best handmade gifts you can give your child—one which will open up a whole new world to explore!