When I taught pre-school once a upon a time ago, I had this beautiful wooden sensory table. You know the kind that kindergarten teachers dream of . . . it had a nice sturdy removable insert with a solid plug, a heavy wooden top that hides everything when it’s on and even sported a shelf under it to keep all your sensory table extras and equipment. Behold, my dream sensory bin . . . But . . . that was then. Now I use everything from large under-the-bed clothes totes . . .
to smaller easier-to-handle totes for sensory work. I must have at least three sensory totes in use at any given time.
But I am also lucky enough to have one large-sized table.
I inherited it with my room and, while I am grateful to have one (I know that so many of you don’t have this luxury), it was less than aesthetically pleasing. It needed a make-over and this year, it finally got one. It’s not that it was ugly . . . ok maybe it was. I couldn’t do anything about the RED removable insert or the fact that it was cheap-o plastic, but I could change the color of the outside to ‘fit’ my classroom a little better instead of stand out like a sore thumb. I certainly didn’t need to get rid of it, it functioned just fine. It just needed a little “something-something.”
I had seen all those Pinterest photos of plastic drawers made over with spray paint, so I thought, why not try it with my sensory table. I didn’t have anything to lose. So I picked up a couple of cans of Rust-oleum Plastic Furniture spray paint and went to work. Make sure if you’re going to do this, you prime your table first, then use the Rust-oleum Ultra Cover 2x in Satin. I used the ‘seaside’ shade for mine.
It was super easy. No I didn’t add a coat of primer. I just left it as is, and it’s been used everyday since the start of school without any peeling.
What do you think?
Here’s a little before and after . . .
Who knew it would be so easy? I liked it so much I went and bought four more bottles and painted the ugly prime colored bins on the bottom of my easel pink, blue, orange and lime.
It’s amazing what a little paint can do to change things up.
Tricia says
Love the makeover! Great color!
Marsha says
Thanks so much Tricia. It’s not my dream sensory table, but it will work.
Marsha
I love that you also painted your easel bins!! Those primary colors were something I always disliked tremendously. I traded mine out for white bins that were almost a perfect fit, but I like your solution better. So clever Marsha!
Thanks Leslie! I dislike primary colors and it was REALLY bugging me.
Marsha
Marsha I love all your materials. I use your Math and Reading centers and my students love them. That’s why I decided to try out your sensory bin activities. I was just wondering how you do several different activities in one month. Ex: do you have 6 bins for 6 activities? I was just trying to find the easiest way to do several centers. Thanks for all you do!
Laura