The Tactile Table

We now have colourful dried pasta in our tactile table!

Why are tactile tables so important in an early years classroom?  
One of the best things that we can do for our children by way of development is to expose them to a host of sensorial experiences. Senses are the gateways to intelligence for a child. When they experience rich, sensorial activities they carry forth these memories and images and integrate them with their intelligence, helping to provide background knowledge for future learning. Sensorial activities involve working with materials and activities that assist in the development of sensory organs. The aim of the sensorial materials is fine-tuning of the sensorial perceptions: visual, tactile, auditory, and olfactory. The sensorial activities are designed to bring meaning and order to the wide range of sense impressions that the child accumulates including sight, taste, touch, smell and sound. Subsequently, they play a key role in the development of intelligence, because the sensory organs are the scouts for gathering information.

In our tactile table we've also explored:
Potting soil and silk flowers:

Tinsel: 

Paper Punch Outs

Cornmeal

Wood Shavings

Dried Oatmeal