It’s officially summertime! Many of us associate this time of year with sunny days spent at the park or on the beach playing in the sand. Scooping up sand and letting it run through your fingers has a calming effect. Childhood activities often involve playing with sand, so we’ve compiled a list of our favorite ways to sift, dig, sketch, and create with this summery material. These 7 kid-friendly sand games don’t require a beach!
Benefits of Sand Play
1. Language development
Playing in the sand with kids might help them develop their linguistic abilities. Parents may promote this by encouraging their children to explain what they are doing, how the sand feels, etc.
2. Socialization
Playing with others gives kids the chance to develop their social skills, and sand play gives them the ability to practice skills like sharing and problem solving.
3. Sensory stimulation
Sand play is an incredibly tactile activity. Playing with sand that is dry, damp, or moist can help kids improve their sense of touch. Activities that excite their sense of touch include burying objects in the sand or forming them into shapes.
4. Boosts creativity
Sand play is a catalyst for creativity. It’s the perfect medium for building, molding, creating patterns, and drawing designs.
5. Improves Fine Motor Skills
Manipulating sand helps children develop fine motor skills as they scoop, sift, pour, and shape the sand. These actions strengthen hand muscles and improve hand-eye coordination.
6. Promotes Scientific Exploration
Playing with sand gives children the opportunity to explore basic scientific concepts such as volume, weight, and texture. They can experiment with how sand behaves when dry and wet and observe the results of their actions.
7. Improves Problem-Solving Skills
Building sand structures requires planning and problem solving. Children learn to think critically and devise strategies to keep their creations from collapsing, which enhances their cognitive development.
8. Promotes Independent Play
Sand play is the perfect environment for independent play. Children can immerse themselves in their own world, fostering imagination and independence as they create their sand masterpieces.
9. Encourages Physical Activity
Sand play often involves physical movements such as digging, shoveling, and carrying that promote overall physical fitness. These activities can help build strength, coordination, and stamina.
Sand Activity Essentials to Invest In
1. Plastic tub
A sizable tub or container makes a fantastic play area in addition to being the ideal spot to mix up your sand creations. For simple cleaning and storage, look for a tub with a cover.
2. Play sand
The next best thing if you don’t live close to a beach is to buy a bag of play sand. It can be used alone or as a component in several sand-based activities.
3. Rimmed baking sheet
An uniform surface for constructing and molding may be provided by a rimmed baking sheet or even a plastic tray, keeping everything contained and making cleanup simple.
4. Sand Toys set
It’s helpful to have a Kids Beach Sand Toys set on hand for combining moon sand or sand foam. Sand that is moist or wet is ideal for molding in smaller buckets.
6 Sand Activities for Kids
1. Dig for dinosaur bones
Your young archaeologist will enjoy searching for dinosaur bones. You’ll need some Kinetic Sand and some plastic dinosaur bones for this project. Sand the interior of a plastic container, then stuff it around the bones to bury them. Allow your youngster to progressively unearth the fossils by using a paintbrush or toothbrush. You just rebury the bones after they’re finished and begin anew!
2. Draw outside with sand
You only need colored sand and transparent squeeze bottles for this project. Just go outdoors after using a tiny funnel to evenly distribute colored sand into each container. The ideal place to sketch in color is on a patio or driveway. Help your youngster create a vibrant image or artwork by gently tipping a bottle of sand over or gently squeezing it.
3. Make your own sand dough
Did you know that you just need three ingredients to produce your own sensory sand dough at home? 3 cups of play sand, 3 cups of flour, and either 1 cup of cooking oil or 1 cup of baby oil are required. Grab a big bowl, add the ingredients one at a time, and combine everything with your hands. Have your youngster roll it out and use cookie cutters to make various shapes as a fun way to play with it.
4. Make some sand foam
Shaving cream and sand are the only two components needed to make sand foam sensory sand. Start by adding some play sand to a bucket or plastic container. When you have a light, fluffy mixture, add a lot of shaving cream and stir. Pour out onto a sizable baking sheet with a rim, then allow your kid to explore and create using plastic playthings, culinary implements, or just their hands!
5. Create an indoor beach
Make an indoor beach for your kids as a surprise! You’ll also need 1 cup of cooking oil, 8 cups of whole wheat flour, and a sizable plastic container. Use a whisk to thoroughly combine everything with the aid of your kid until there are no clumps. Then, it’s time to have fun and discover. Make it appear like a genuine beach by adding some beach gear and shells!
6. Make scented sand paint
Make some scented sand paint and use it to create some tasty-smelling artwork. The recipe is so straightforward that even a little child can follow it. One cup of flour and one package of Kool Aid should be combined, and water should be added gradually to get the desired consistency. Different Kool Aid packets may be used to make a variety of paint colors. Use the mixture to paint sidewalks or even your fingers.
7. Make your own moon sand
Your kids will love making their own squishy, soft, moldable moon sand. Start by getting a large plastic tub or bucket and adding your “dry ingredients”-6 cups of play sand and 3 cups of cornmeal. Next, add your “wet ingredients” – 1 cup each of vegetable oil and water, along with 2 teaspoons of glycerin. Mix everything together with your hands or a large spoon. The result is a fun, malleable sand that’s perfect for squeezing into shapes and sparking imaginative play.
