Sand and Water Tablesare widely praised for their educational value amongst small children. There are however other people who people whom would benefit greatly from a Sand and Water Table experience, these are children with special needs. Studies have clearly shown that children with autism retain information better while their sense of touch is being stimulated. Sand and Water Tables are a perfect catalyst for this form off education. Sand and Water Tables promote growth in motor skills, social skills, spatial relations, natural science, and can offer people with special needs a small world that they feel in control of. A Sand and Water Table can offer a sample of the outdoors experience for Children whom can never go there.

When using your Sand and Water Table, be creative, as experiencing different things is what it is all about. When choosing a project for the child, always keep in mind their strengths and weaknesses. Some special needs children might become over stimulated if too many objects are placed in the tub and some may feel the more things to play with the better. Here are some fun ideas.

What is that? Is a really fun stimulating and educational game. There are several ways to set up play . First try taking noodles, warm or cold, hard or soft, and place them into the Tub. Then burry an object in there and have them try to guess what it is. For a higher learning more task specific exercise, you can place 3-dimensional letters or numbers in there. This works especially well when trying to teach them how to spell their name, as the physical stimulation and the excitement of a new game will help them to retain what they learn. Try finding objects through the leaves of lettuce in water or pine cones or sand, making it like a treasure hunt! The possibilities are endless!

Color Magic! This is an exceptionally fun game! This Sand and Water Table project works best in with a clear tub. It will take you about one day in preparation, but it is worth the wait to see how this innovative color experiment shows in a literal way how colors when mixed create other colors. First Take 9 Plastic cups and fill them all with water. In each cup mix in paint. Mix three cups with Yellow paint, three cups with Red paint , and three cups with Blue paint. Place all 9 cups of the primary colors into the freezer for the following day. When the class or individual child you are caring for arrives, have a color chart on display and briefly explain to them about primary and secondary colors. Even if these terms are hard for them to grasp, your brief talk will lay the foundation for the Sand and Water Table Color Magic Experiment where the real learning will take place. Fill the tub with about one inch of hot water. Then place two different primary colors in the tub. As the ice melts watch the secondary color emerge. Throughout the project ask questions and keep them evolved. Repeat the process for all secondary colors. After each color is formed, give them a piece of paper to dip into the water. Save these colored papers for a future color project to strengthen their understanding of color theory.

Great Outdoors! Try taking the Sand and Water Table outside for another unique experience. Have your children with special needs look around and find different objects in nature. Then place them into the water in your Sand and Water Table. They will learn about the world around them as they watch acorns float and rock sink and ant that seem to walk on the top. This is a time to let them play and get interested in things on their own, to let them feel in control of their little world. When the time is up, they may even want to keep the acorn or rock etc. And if they are not in danger of swallowing or hurting someone else with their object, letting them keep it is good. It will reinforce the memory of their experience.

A Sand and Water Table is perfect for a child with special educational needs. There are truly an unlimited amount on fun learning projects you can come up with using a Sand and Water Table. They are truly important educational tools for sensory development, encouraging motor skills, and a supporting a curiosity of the world. You know your loved ones and which projects will best educate and entertain them. For more Sand and Water Table ideas or to purchase High Quality Sand and Water Tables visit us at http://www.funkidstables.com.

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