How to Build the Perfect Sensory Bin!

Fall is right around the corner! 

I am really excited for this fall for a number of reasons:

1. I love fall and everything about it! The cooler weather, the boots, the PSL (it comes back on the 28th, don't worry, I asked. You're welcome), everything!

2. Cohen starts preschool this fall and we are a bag of mixed emotions over here. He will be going 3 days a week from 9-12. It will be a crazy adjustment but I think he's going to rock it!

3. Fall also means back to our routines and toddler school! We always take a break in the summer due to all the craziness with travel, good weather and the general overheated laziness that overtakes our family. By August though, we are all feeling it and ready to get back into our normal routines.

4. Since big brother will be in school part time that means mama will get some much needed (and wanted) one on one time with Avery. I can't wait to do all the toddler school activities with him that I got to do with big brother when he was younger. I am really looking forward to this special time with my baby and I can't wait to watch his love of learning grow just like brother. 💙

With the new school year starting here at Confessions I wanted to share how we do sensory tables! We use sensory table religiously. I swap ours out every week to fit our changing themes and we love them. If you're new to sensory tables or don't know where to begin - don't get overwhelmed and just have fun with it! Also remember Rome wasn't built in a day and in that same breath your toddler won't be responsible with the table right off the bat, it takes learning! Our first few sensory tables ended up ALL over my couch/carpet. 

Whether you're a seasoned expert when it comes to sensory tables or brand new, I'm going to share some of my favorite tips and tricks for building the perfect sensory table. 

The Basics

First things first, you need a place to contain all those fun sensory learning experiences. You can buy one on amazon, make your own or totally just use a plastic bin! Whatever works for you! Personally I built one! I wanted to have a dedicated table the boys could stand at and explore. It also breaks down for travel AND has a lid. We've also added decals to the lid to make a play stove top, turned it upside down and filled with Christmas lights to make a light box and even taken it outside to double as our water table! I love how versatile it is! We made ours 4 years ago and it's still going strong!

Now I know that sounds like it's probably super fancy, but trust me when I say that me building anything is laughable so if I can do it, so can you. It took less that 10 minutes and cost about $30. 

You can find the DIY link here!

The Filler

The filler is the base of any sensory table! It's the thing that takes up the bulk of the space. Think small items you can buy in bulk. Some of our favorites are:

* Rice

* Noodles (cooked or dry)

* Sand

* Oats

* Sticks/twigs

* Cotton balls

* Shredded paper 

* Corn kernels

* Dry beans (there are so many color and size/shape options here)

* Water Beads

* Ice (when it's hot outside)

You see where I'm going here! Another fun tip is that a lot of these things can be DYED to make it more fun and engaging!

The Tools

This can be as simple as cups for sorting, tweezers for grabbing, magnifying glasses, water droppers, you name it! Whatever you want to add in to help your kiddos explore!  

I don't always add tools to mine but it is a nice addition sometimes!

The Add-Ons

Now this is where the magic happens! The add-ons are the fun things you hide in the sensory bin! Here's where the theme comes into play generally! Our favorite things to add:

* Toobs (these are little tubes of animals/vehicles/etc) - we have a bajillion of these for a variety of different themes

* Mini erasers 

* Picture cards - can have letters, numbers, animals, words, whatever!

* Gold coins

Get Creative here! This is really the fun part!

    

Clean Up/Storage

This can often be the most intimidating part of sensory tables - what do you do with it when you're done playing? The nice thing is that most of these items store and last FOREVER. Just toss anything that can't be reused and store the rest or easy pull out next time!

I buy these little dollar tree storage bins and store everything so I can bust it out at a moments notice! Here's a little peek into my storage - I apologize for the quality of the photo my toddler storage room is rather dark so this is as good as it gets. 🤷

I hope you've gotten some new ideas from this post! I can't wait to see what you come up with! 

Do you have any favorite sensory activities!?

Adjusting to Life as a SAHM

My son is almost 1! I can't even believe it. Just saying that out loud gives me ✨all kinds of feels✨. 

This year has been quite the roller coaster (and not just adjusting to having a new baby). Between hospital stays, family drama and my husbands business struggling, it has been hard to know which way is up.

Personally I have been having a hard time finding myself in this new mom role. I haven't quite found the balance between my mom self, teacher self, wife self and my self self. It's a work in progress and I get a little closer every day!

One thing that has really emphasized this new identity crisis is the fact that I am a SAHM (at least for this school year). It has been a great experience to be here for my sons first year, but it has also been a struggle not contributing financially to the family. 

I don't know what the future holds as far as work goes. Ideally I would love to teach part time but those jobs are rare. So we will see! 

In the meantime....

Guess what!?

While I'm still figuring this all out I have found a way to contribute financially AND tap in to my teacher/creative side! I've launched an Etsy store for teacher clothing products! My husband already has the shirts, the vinyl and the press! It just made sense. 

And within 2 days I made my first sale!! 

💰💰💰

You should check out my store: Teacher Confessions 

So far I have these 4 designs up but more designs to come! Stay tuned 😁👏👍

How do you mamas balance work life/mom life?

10 Things About Me

So I did a little more blog snooping today and I noticed that many of you started out by posting some fun facts about yourself! Seemed like a great way to share a little bit about myself and hopefully connect with some of you! I’m not sure if I can come up with 10, but here it goes!

1. I am excited/terrified/nervous about starting this blog and feel way in over my head! Any pointers would be greatly appreciated :)

2. I am super short (hence the name tiny teacher). I often get confused as a student, which took some getting used to! Sometimes I shop in the children’s section because the clothes fit me better. Actually, one time I had a student show up wearing the same dress as me. That was embarrassing!

3. I don’t like sweets of any kind. No cake, no ice cream, no pie. I know, I know, I’m crazy. I’m more a salty kind of gal! 

4. I am a fitness junkie! If I wasn’t a teacher I would probably be a personal trainer.

 5. I paid for my first 2 years of college with a vocal scholarship. I used to sing in choirs and musicals. Now I only sing while sitting in traffic. But you best believe I put on a real show.

6. I have been with my husband for 8 years. He has been so supportive of my career (which has been a roller coaster these past years due to budget cuts in our state). I couldn’t have asked for a better partner in crime.

7. WOW this is hard…I’m terrified of lawn gnomes. They really creep me out. Travelocity commercials are the worst!

8. My favorite season is fall! I love everything about it! FOOTBALL season, pumpkin everything, the beautiful colors… AHHH is it fall yet!?

9. I am obsessed with bad TV…like really bad TV. Pretty Little Liars anyone? Sorry, I'm not sorry.

10. I do a lot of freezer cooking! It is such a great way to keep healthy eating habits when both partners work full time! If you haven’t tried it, you should! It totally saved my life!


Well, that wasn’t so bad! Now if I could just figure out how to connect with other teachers… oh and get my blog to not look so crazy! Have a wonderful weekend!