Garden Party revisited

this morning I placed the garden sensory bin on our new  "wonder table"

(more about this table in future posts)

The wicker chairs and table and little china tea cups were added

as well as a few mini dolls.

I waited to see if the garden party from last week would be brought to life again.

Many different children came through the room this particular morning.

A pair of girls removed the wicker table and chairs and carried them over to a nearby table and played with them there.When they left the area I replaced the items to the "wonder table". The girl from the "garden party" play a few days ago came in....she immediately went to the sensory bin them noticed the new items that were added to the area. "Tea for the garden party", she said. I watched as she placed the dolls on the chairs and began scooping the dried lentils and beans in to the tea cups. "would you like some tea?"she asked the one doll.The caterpillar and butterfly became part of the tea party too.A few more children joined in...pouring and scooping with the lentils and beans, the green bean like stones were used as "cookies" and "muffins" by some. The flowers were arranged in the pots and rearranged again and again.

The "garden party" continued on for some time this morning, then the original girl left the area,asking of she could go on to a different room. 

When she came back a while later she chose a different item to play with...not returning to the sensory bin.

She seemed to have completed her game of garden party and was ready to do something else.

The Garden Party

I was so excited to present this beautiful

garden sensory bin to the children.

I have spent a bit of time pondering and collecting a variety

of beautiful little items for it.

A combination of dried white beans,green and orange dried lentils make the main base of this fun sensory experience.We have variety of faux grass turf squares and I used one in the bottom of the bin before I added all the dried beans and lentils.This made for a lawn type feel to it .

Fluffy chenille "pipe cleaners"and striped ones too reminded me of caterpillars.

Little terracotta plant pots and a mini metal watering can from the thrift store and of course dollar store flowers and bugs.I found the darling little squeezy caterpillar,turtle and butterfly in a bin way at the bottom of a shelf in the local dollar store...my searching for treasures was a success.

the children have used this bin in different ways....lots of pouring and scooping.....pretending with 

the creatures...filling the pots and planting the flowers etc.

Yesterday a few of the children made a "garden party"...it was delightful to listen to their ideas and conversation.

as the children play and expand their experiences with this bin

I will be adding (and perhaps deleting) some items as they go.

always so many ideas.....