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Boy moms 💙

Beige play and Sensory tables... I don't get it.

I need a rant or perhaps just educating further on this matter.

I do not understand the absolute obsession in nursery's, play cafes and stay and plays with sensory tables and 0 colour.

I have an extremely active 1yr old boy who loves music, playing outside with sticks, stones, pine cones and water. Lots of natural resources. But then he also loves his fisher price little people, balls, bright coloured books and duplo.
He is chaos, noise and an absolute tornado. But he also calmly tidys things on shelves, sits and has story time and is very loving.

We have just come home from one of many stay and plays at a nursery, who are lovely. But they are completely on the band wagon of nothing having any colour and lots of sensory tables.
Firstly, the sensory tables baffle me for under 3s. First of all there are so many choking hazards, but it also seems that it limits play to one location. God forbid my son takes the dinosaurs from the jurassic soft play table over to the music table. How is this encouraging child led play?
The set up seems to limit him to 'stations' and im constantly made to feel like I need to stop his play and imagination if it doesnt match how the room is set up.

Then the beige just feels so dull and boring, especially with no music. I totally agree having every primary colour splattered on every wall is super over stimulating... but none at all?
Can kids not enjoy both? I thought child led play was meant to be exactly that?

This new world of beige and boring makes me feel like im having to mute my wonderful, clever, loud, colourful tornado of a boy.
Has anyone else felt this way or am I really missing something here?

Bit of background- I work in a lovely school that seems to achieve a nice balance.
I absolutely agree with and see the benefits of more station based/ sensory table play for reception children. This is specifically about under 3.
First time mum. Little boy has not attended nursery yet, only nursery led stay and plays.