Using Sensory Bins & Tables in Speech Therapy
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Time to read 2 min
Want to incorporate more sensory activities & multisensory learning into your speech therapy sessions? Try adding a sensory table or bin to your space! These engaging tools provide a dynamic way to integrate speech and language goals into playful activities.
Here are some of our favorite targets to incorporate into your speech therapy sensory fun:
VOCABULARY BUILDING
Sensory tables in speech therapy filled with materials like rice, beans, sand, or water offer a tactile experience that can be paired with targeted vocabulary lessons. While playing in a sand-filled sensory bin, introduce new vocabulary related to textures (e.g., smooth, soft, grainy) or actions (e.g., scoop, pour, bury). Encourage students to describe what they feel and see, fostering both expressive and receptive language skills.
NARRATIVE LANGUAGE
Use the sensory table/bin to create thematic storytelling opportunities. Include miniature objects related to a storybook or a specific theme (e.g., pets, ocean animals). As students manipulate and explore the objects, guide them in sequencing events or retelling stories using appropriate language structures (e.g., first, then, next, finally).
click to grab your own Sorting Surprise Pirate Treasure toy!
FOLLOWING DIRECTIONS
Create fun and interactive games that require students to follow multi-step directions or understand spatial concepts during your speech therapy sessions! Use other toys and hide objects in different positions within the sensory materials. Encourage students to find them using directional and positional cues (e.g., look under the blue treasure chest!). This activity not only targets language comprehension but also improves auditory processing skills in speech therapy!
SOCIAL COMMUNICATION
Use the sensory table/bin as a platform for collaborative activities that promote social communication skills. Encourage students to take turns adding items to the bin, describing what they are doing, and asking questions or making comments about each other’s actions. This fosters conversational skills, joint attention, and the ability to initiate and maintain interactions during speech therapy
Here's What I Use:
image of Flisat desk from Ikea
mini objects can easily be stored in this tray!
- At Ikea, I bought this Flisat desk that is easily transformed into a sensory tables
- The Trofast bins fit perfectly, along with a tray to hold all of your manipulatives!
- I like to use kinetic sand or Playfoam sand as my summer-time fillers!
- The best part? the sensory bins are easily transformed into a desk or table when the top is placed back on!
Top Sensory Bin Fillers for Speech Therapy:
Our Favorite Speech Therapy Toys to Use with Sensory Bins:
The Author: Heidi Martino
Heidi is a pediatric speech-language pathologist with a passion for play-based therapy! She is the founder of Speech Cube, a subscription box for SLPs who love using themes in speech therapy, and the new owner of My Speech Shop where she can live her dream of owning a toy store with the BEST toys for speech-language development.
