I am so excited to share how to create a sensory table with a simple IKEA hack! We love experimenting with different sensory bins, so this table has gotten a ton of use! I searched high and low for an affordable table and just couldn’t find one. So, I got creative and made my own. It’s actually turned out better than the tables I could have purchased because mine allows me to switch out the activity in seconds! I don’t have to empty out the bin and fill it with new materials. I just swap out the entire bin. This means that I always have a new activity ready for those moments where you need to change things up quickly with a new distraction (hello tantrums of the terrible twos).
For this project, I started with the Lack coffee table from Ikea. I then bought several fairly shallow plastic bins with lids from Target. You want to be sure that the bin has enough of an edge on it that it will hold in the table without falling through.
My dad cut a hole in the top of the table to allow the bin to sit down in the table using a hand saw.
To do this, we measured out the dimensions of the top of the bin. You want to get this part pretty exact so that the lip of the bin sits down on the edge of the hole and doesn’t fall through.
Once it was cut, I just wiped it down, filled a bin and we were ready to go! A seriously quick and cheap project that has provided hours and hours of entertainment. What’s better than that?!
Check out this post for an idea to get you started creating your own sensory bins with your kiddos!