Easy Flisat Play Table Themes + Activities
Ah, the coveted IKEA Flisat table. It took me a few months, but I was finally able to secure one earlier this year after posting an ISO in a Facebook Flisat group (all these groups- am I right?).
You don’t need a Flisat table to do any of the following activities. Any regular kids table with a bin on top, or even a bin on the floor, will work. I have also heard good feedback about the Flisat dupe and this plastic sensory table with built-in bins.
My toddler is very tall for her age and we’re considering homeschooling so I knew buying the original Flisat would be a good investment since she can grow with it.
Below are the play table theme ideas and activities that I have set up for my toddler.
Favorite or New Toys
Favorite or new toys can be a great, quick setup idea for your play table. It’s low effort, typically low mess and can be thrown together in 5 minutes or less.
The first and very basic setup I did was throwing some Disney Princess Klip Klop toys in the bins for her to play with. This was to test if she liked the idea of the table at all. Needless to say, she played with this setup for around 20 minutes (which is amazing given their short attention span) and kept going back to play later on.
Inserts
One of the first things I learned about the Flisat are the inserts that are created and sold for the bins. You can purchase them new on websites like Etsy, but you can also make them out of cardboard like I have.
How to make a cardboard insert:
Cut a piece of cardboard from a box that is big enough to cover the lid of the bins, trace the lid shape onto the cardboard with a Sharpie or pen, and then cut the shape out using a box cutter. I use the Canary Box Cutter and it easily cuts through cardboard, unlike scissors.
Spring Theme
For the spring theme, I printed out the shape of a vase and glued it to the cardboard piece that I cut out. Using a pen, I punched holes through the cardboard above the vase for my toddler to put flowers in. I had her use fake flowers I found in the Target dollar spot, but feel free to use what you have!
I filled the other bin with boxwood squares from Target. Here is an alternative, but you can also use green crinkle paper, felt or whatever else you available. I hid her Lovevery bunnies and carrots in the grass- she loved finding them and hiding them again!
Books: Spring Parade (a favorite, illustrations are magical) | Indestructible books
Insects Theme
Bugs- your toddler either loves them or hates them. My toddler began showing interest in bugs during our nature outings and I decided to foster that with an insects theme.
On one side of the table, I had a boxwood square and brown crinkle paper with different bugs hiding in each. The opposite side has this magnetic Melissa and Doug puzzle that supports fine motor skill development by using a “net” with a magnetic piece to catch the bugs. I provided the empty bin for her to move the bugs back and forth from the puzzle.
These wooden Uncle Goose bug blocks include several types of bugs with the names of each, corresponding images and double as alphabet blocks on another side as well.
The flashcards are from Mornings Together (we love their printables!).
Zoo Theme
I had this setup the week before we visited the San Diego Zoo to help familiarize my toddler with the animals would be seeing.
The monkey insert is made of cardboard and a printed image of a monkey. I cut out the mouth so my toddler could “feed” the monkey bananas.
The opposite side consisted of crushed cornflakes and animals. I had measuring cups, spoons and other sensory play tools available for her to use if she wanted. She did end up feeding the monkey cornflakes (as pictured haha!).
Goodnight Gorilla is a fun, silly read and Dear Zoo has peekaboo flaps, a toddler favorite!
Ocean Animals Theme
When I thrifted a pack of felt ocean animals, I knew I wanted to create an neutral insert as a backdrop or for felt storytelling. My toddler and I named the ocean animals and their characteristics (colors, size, etc.). This setup can also be used for imaginative play.
I highly recommend the Poke-a-Dot books from Melissa and Doug. We own multiple, and the smaller ones are great for travel. The Melissa and Doug magnetic puzzle is a similar concept as the bug one, with a magnetic stick to move them around.
The flashcards are from Mornings Together.
Other favorites:
Homemade playdough with tools and cutters
Melissa and Doug fruit cutting set
Arts and crafts (stickers, coloring, stamps)
Musical instruments
Pom pom balls with scoops and sorters
Other fillers (rice, dried beans, lentils, peas, uncooked pasta, felt balls, cloud dough, kinetic sand)
Don’t overthink it! Throw together what you have on hand and let the fun begin!
Note: I have seen moms use the table for water-based play, but we stick to our water table since I have not sealed the Flisat.
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