There will never be enough words to describe how glorious a warm tea fall sensory table is. It is cozy and warm, smells delicious, it’s inexpensive, and it’s absolute perfection.
Why we love a warm tea fall sensory table
When I picture a Fall day in the preschool classroom, I imagine kids gathered around a warm tea water table, scooping water, commenting on how delicious it smells.
This sensory table comes together in minutes using simple materials and provides hours of soothing fun.
We have made these indoors and outdoors, and they fill the space with the most beautiful smell.
Related: Don’t miss our GIANT 10-foot Fall coloring banner that’s perfect for both busy and calm Fall days
A warm tea Fall sensory table feels and SMELLS divine
When we think about sensory play, it’s often things kids touch.
Do a quick online search for “sensory activities” and you’ll see lots of doughs, slimes, paints, and the like (all of which are wonderful and important).
But the sense of touch is only one of the five senses.
Sense of smell is one of my favorite senses to incorporate in play, and this activity is the crème de la crème.
Try some of these other “fall-tastic” activities, too!
- Paper Bag Fall Leaf Art
- Easy, No-Cook Pumpkin Spice Play Dough
- Fall Preschool Measurement Activity (with Free Printables
- Fall Leaf Cutting Bin
Materials
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- Shallow container
- Warm water
- Tea bags – We love the Trader Joe’s Harvest Blend (around $2 in store)
- Open-ended materials – ex: bowls, scoops, faux leaves, beads, tongs
How to make a warm tea fall sensory table
- Fill a shallow container with warm water, making sure that it is not too hot for little hands
- Invite your child to add tea bags into the water and observe what happens over the next 5-10 minutes
The amount of tea bags you’ll use depends on the size of the container, but for reference, here we used half of the box (costing me about $1)
- Squeeze the tea bags and watch the colors bleed into the water as the tea steeps
- Introduce open-ended materials and invite your child to play, mix, scoop, pour, and explore
Note: Your tea bags might break open (as shown here), but it’s absolutely fine! If anything, it adds extra texture and visual interest. Don’t worry at all about them breaking open.
What do you put in an autumn sensory bin?
When we do this activity in the Fall, we love adding in
- Faux leaves (we pluck them off of the sticks from the Dollar Tree)
- Mini pumpkins (real or fake)
- Wooden beads
- Mini pumpkin pails
- Cranberries
- Fall-colored beads (go through whatever beads you have on hand and take out the Fall colored ones)
- Fall bowls
- Fresh sunflowers (grown in a garden or from the grocery store)
- Sunflower seeds
How to clean up your warm tea fall sensory table
At the end of the play, we dump the water in the garden (which makes the smell last longer, mmm).
If doing this at home, you could consider leaving it overnight and adding more warm water the next day, too.
I can’t wait for you to play with and smell this one!
FAQ
Any that can safely enjoy the materials. Check the ingredients list for whatever tea you’re using for possible allergens.
Hours! If the water starts to cool, add more water to keep the temperature nice and the kids engaged.
YES! Choose whatever you love. We also love the Tazo Passion tea during other times of the year.
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