There is a particular kind of outdoor learning that happens when children have nine trays of materials in front of them and no instructions. The Whitney Brothers outdoorED Potion Station is built for exactly that - an outdoor STEM sensory play station that invites children to mix, measure, pour, and experiment their way through open-ended discovery. Available across North America from The Sensory Supply, it brings genuine scientific inquiry outdoors in a format that is as durable and weather-resistant as it is genuinely exciting for children aged 3 and up.

Nine interchangeable stainless steel trays - six small and three large - sit across two rail levels on the 41.75-inch-wide station. Children can arrange them however a session requires: wet materials in the lower rail, dry materials above, or sorted by colour, texture, or material type. They can be swapped between rails, lifted out for cleaning, and filled with whatever the outdoor curriculum or child-led play demands - water, sand, mud, natural loose parts, food colouring, or anything else the session calls for. The layout accommodates multiple children simultaneously, each working at their own configuration of trays while sharing a common workspace.

The extra-wide feet provide genuine stability without kickboards, which means children can stand right up close to the working surface - the natural posture for active mixing and pouring. It also means an educator can check underneath with a clear sightline, an intentional safety design feature for outdoor environments. The station sits at 24 inches high, scaled for standing preschool use.

Key Features of the Whitney Brothers outdoorED Potion Station

• Nine Interchangeable Stainless Steel Trays - Includes six small and three large trays that move freely between the top and bottom rails, giving educators and children maximum flexibility for arranging different materials, separating wet from dry, sorting by texture, or reconfiguring the station for different outdoor STEM and sensory play sessions
• Six Small and Three Large Tray Configuration - The size combination allows children to hold a range of material volumes simultaneously - small trays for concentrated mixing ingredients, large trays for broader exploration materials - supporting varied experimental setups within a single outdoor session
• Extra-Wide Stability Feet with No Kickboards - Specially designed wide feet provide a stable, tip-resistant base in outdoor environments without the use of kickboards, allowing children to stand close to the working surface in the natural active posture for mixing and pouring
• Close-Access Standing Design - The open base structure allows children to position themselves directly at the surface for better hands-on engagement, and gives adults a clear, unobstructed view underneath the station for safety checks and insect monitoring outdoors
• Child-Scaled 24-Inch Working Height - The station sits at 24 inches high, calibrated for standing preschool and early childhood use, providing an ergonomically comfortable working height for sustained outdoor experimentation
• Weatherproof HDPE Construction - Built from UV-stabilised high-density polyethylene that is immune to rot, moisture absorption, and delamination in outdoor conditions, holding its structure and appearance through year-round weather exposure
• Textured Woodgrain Maple Panels - 3/4-inch panels provide the high-end aesthetic of maple wood with the extreme durability and low maintenance of industrial-grade thermoplastic, requiring no sealing, staining, or weather treatment
• GreenGuard Gold Certified - Meets the most stringent global standards for low chemical emissions, confirming the station is safe for children in sensitive early childhood environments including covered outdoor classrooms
• Heat-Resistant Polar White Panels - White HDPE surfaces engineered not to absorb or reflect excessive heat from the sun, keeping contact surfaces safe and comfortable to touch on warm outdoor days
• Safety-Rounded Edges - All corners and edges are expertly smoothed and rounded to prevent scrapes and injuries during fast-paced, interactive group play at the station
• Rust-Resistant Hardware - Assembled with premium stainless steel hardware chosen to withstand rain, humidity, and all-season outdoor conditions without corroding
• Stain, Mould and Mildew Resistant - Naturally resists stains from mud, food colouring, and outdoor materials and prevents the growth of mould and mildew, preserving the woodgrain finish through seasons of messy outdoor use
• Antimicrobial and Odour Resistant - The non-porous HDPE material does not absorb moisture, bacteria, or odours, making it straightforward to clean and maintain after messy outdoor STEM and sensory sessions
• Eco-Friendly Recyclability - Made from UV-stabilised HDPE, which is more easily recyclable than many other plastics, supporting a sustainable classroom footprint and a more circular approach to school purchasing
• Coordinated outdoorED Collection Design - Features the signature textured woodgrain maple and polar white two-tone finish that coordinates with all pieces in the Whitney Brothers outdoorED collection including the Sensory Table, Mud Kitchen, Table, Bench, Storage Shelf, and Play House Cube
• Made in the USA - Designed, sourced, and manufactured in the United States, backed by a lifetime manufacturer warranty against defects in materials and workmanship
• Ships Ready to Assemble - Arrives with all components included; props shown in product images are not included

Skills and Benefits of the Whitney Brothers outdoorED Potion Station

• STEM and Scientific Inquiry - Mixing, measuring, comparing quantities, observing cause-and-effect (what happens when vinegar meets bicarbonate, when paint meets water), and testing ratios introduces early scientific method and mathematical reasoning through genuine outdoor experimentation
• Fine Motor Development and Hand-Eye Coordination - Scooping, pouring, squeezing, and transferring materials between trays at a standing working height builds hand strength, grip control, precision pouring, and bilateral coordination - fine motor foundations that transfer directly to writing and self-care
• Cognitive Development and Mathematical Thinking - Sorting materials into tray categories, estimating volumes, comparing quantities, and sequencing experimental steps develops early mathematical reasoning, categorisation, and logical thinking in an outdoor context children find intrinsically motivating
• Social Interaction and Cooperative Learning - Multiple-tray access for several children at once creates natural, structured opportunities for side-by-side experimentation, shared problem-solving, negotiation of materials, and collaborative scientific play
• Language and Communication Development - Describing textures, naming colours, explaining mixing sequences, and narrating experimental outcomes builds expressive vocabulary and science-specific language in a sensory-rich, child-led context
• Tactile Sensory Exploration - Handling varied materials across nine trays - wet, dry, granular, smooth, natural, and synthetic - provides rich multi-texture tactile input that supports sensory processing development and tactile discrimination in outdoor settings

Ideal for

• Outdoor classrooms, preschools, and kindergartens building outdoor STEM and sensory exploration programmes
• Childcare centres and daycares equipping outdoor play areas with hands-on science stations
• Schools and early childhood programmes with nature-based or STEAM outdoor curriculum
• OTs and allied health professionals designing outdoor sensory integration and fine motor environments
• Families creating structured outdoor STEM and sensory play spaces for children ages 3 and up
• Children ages 3 and up, neurotypical and neurodiverse alike

• Dimensions: 41.75"W x 23.75"D x 24"H
• Material: 3/4" UV-stabilised HDPE thermoplastic (polar white) and textured woodgrain maple panels
• Weight: 52 lbs.
• Number of Boxes: 1