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.
Love the makeover! Great color!
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