Summertime is lastly here! For many of us, this time of year brings again memories of sunny days spent playing within the sand on the beach or on the park. There is simply one factor soothing about scooping up sand and letting it sift through your fingers. Playing with sand is a big a half of childhood, and we’ve put collectively a list of our favourite methods to sift, dig, draw, and create with this summertime ingredient. There’s no beach required for these 7 sand actions for kids!
4 Benefits of Sand Play
Sand play is beneficial for kids at any age and can assist youthful children construct bodily and social skills including:
- Socialization – Kids have the chance to construct on their social skills when they play together, and sand play offers the chance to work on skills such as sharing and problem solving.
- Language development – Kids can strengthen their language skills when they participate in sand play. Parents can encourage this by asking their child to explain what they’re doing, how the sand feels, etc.
- Boosts creativity – Sand play is a catalyst for creativity. It’s the perfect medium for building, molding, creating patterns, and drawing designs.
- Sensory stimulation – Playing within the sand is a super-tactile experience. Kids can develop their sense of contact by playing with different textures of sand – dry, damp, and wet. Activities like burying issues within the sand or molding it into shapes additionally helps to stimulate their sense of touch.
6 Sand Activity Essentials to Invest In
Grab these 6 sand exercise necessities and you’re prepared to play!
- Plastic tub – A large plastic tub or container is the perfect place to not solely combine up your sand creations, however additionally a nice place to play. Look for a tub that has a lid to permit for easy clear up and storage.
- Rimmed baking sheet – A rimmed baking sheet or perhaps a plastic tray can present an even floor for constructing and molding, whereas keeping all of it contained and easy to clear up.
- Play sand – If you’re not close to a beach, the subsequent best factor is to buy a bag of play sand. You can apply it to its personal or as an ingredient in different sand-based actions (see below!).
- Sand molds – You can buy a set of molds on-line or at your native dollar store. Or you can get creative and discover issues round your home that may be utilized to assist form the sand, like cupcake tins and small bowls.
- Plastic buckets – Having a big plastic bucket on hand is nice for mixing up a batch of sand foam or moon sand. Smaller buckets are perfect for molding damp or moist sand.
- Sand toys – You can discover sand toys nearly anywhere. Look for toys that will encourage creativity such as rakes, shovels, sifters, small molds, and even plastic construction vehicles. This set is a nice all-in-one option!
7 Sand Activities for Kids
- Dig for dinosaur bones! – Your little paleontologist will love digging for dinosaurs. For this exercise you’ll want some plastic dinosaur bones and some Kinetic Sand. Fill a plastic tub with the sand and bury the bones inside it, packing the sand round them. Have your child use a paint brush or toothbrush to slowly excavate the buried fossils. When they’re done, you merely rebury the bones and begin again!
- Make scented sand paint – Create some sweet-smelling artwork by making a batch of scented sand paint. The recipe is so simple, your child can do it themselves! Mix one cup of flour with a packet of Kool Aid, then slowly add water till you have the consistency you want. You can use different packets of Kool Aid to create different paint colors. Use the combination as finger paint and even sidewalk paint.
- Draw outside with sand – For this exercise you’ll want some clear squeeze bottles and coloured sand – that’s it! Fill every bottle with a different color of sand, utilizing a small funnel to keep away from a mess, then simply head outside. A driveway or patio is the perfect spot to create some colourful drawings. Have your child tip a bottle of sand over or gently squeeze it, letting the sand flow out as they create a colourful image or design.
- Make your personal sand dough – Did you know that you could make your personal sensory sand dough at home with simply three ingredients? You want three cups of play sand, three cups of flour, and one cup of both cooking oil or child oil. Start by grabbing a big bowl and including the ingredients one by one, then combine all of it collectively with your hands. A nice way to play with it’s to have your child roll it out and use cookie cutters to create different shapes.
- Create an indoor beach – Surprise your kids by making a beach inside! You’ll want a big plastic tub, collectively with eight cups of whole wheat flour and 1 cup of cooking oil. Have your child assist you combine all of it collectively utilizing a whisk till there are no clumps. Then it’s time to play and explore. Add some beach toys and seashells to make it really feel like an actual beach!
- Make some sand foam – Sand foam sensory sand is made with simply two ingredients, shaving cream and sand. Start by filling up a bucket or plastic bin with some play sand. Next, add a considerable quantity of shaving cream and blend till you have a light, fluffy mixture. Pour out onto a large, rimmed baking sheet then let your child play and create utilizing plastic construction vehicles, kitchen tools, or merely their hands!
- Make your personal moon sand – Your kids will love creating their very personal squishy, soft, moldable sand. Start by grabbing a big plastic tub or bucket and add your “dry ingredients” – 6 cups of play sand and three cups of corn flour. Now add your “wet ingredients” – 1 cup every of vegetable oil and water collectively with 2 tsp of glycerin. Mix all of it collectively with your hands or a big spoon. It’s enjoyable to squish into different-shaped molds.
With these 7 sand actions for kids, it can really feel like summer any time of year!
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