Children of all ages love to engage in sand play. Take advantage of this fun outdoor activity for kids and plan some educational activities so they can learn as they play. The sandbox experience can bond children together into a team. The relaxed atmosphere can entice even the shyest children into group play. Make sure to cover sand safety rules before entering the play area so the experience is enjoyable for all. Cats love to use sandboxes as litter boxes, so make sure to cover the sand when not in use.
Fun Sand Play Activities for Early Childhood Education
Children left to their own devices will come up with fun sand play activities on their own. Older toddlers will enjoy driving toy construction vehicles through the box while creating roads and construction sites. This activity alone will create hours of sand play fun. Sticks and leaves can be used to create fences, houses and anything else a toddler can think up.
The younger set will be happy filling up cups and bowls and dumping them into each other. Sand play toys will allow a small child to shovel sand into buckets, and sift out small rocks and shells. Wet sand can open a whole new world as the young children shape the sand into whatever formations they desire.
Toddler Educational Activities Through Sand Play
Older toddlers can learn volume and measurements by using measuring cups and spoons. For example, show them how they’ll have to fill ¼ of a cup twice to equal ½ cup of sand. Study rainfall and how lakes and ponds are formed by pouring water into the sand. Let the child check back later in the day to see if the water has evaporated or has been absorbed into the sand.
Safe Play Sand
Sand play safety is an important aspect when toddlers are spending time in sandboxes. Buy quality sand when filling the sandbox. Certain sands contain carcinogens. Beach sand is safe to play in. River rocks that are crushed into sand are also safe. Read the labels on the bags of sand and be sure to research the brand before you buy it to make sure the sand you’re considering won’t have long-lasting health concerns.
Also teach the children not to throw the sand. Toddlers often throw the sand in the air or towards another child while not realizing the sand can hurt eyes and ears. Smaller children will try to eat the sand, so make sure the group is supervised. Wash hands after sand play to keep harmful toxins or cat feces from being ingested.
Play Sand and Cat Litter
Cats love sand as much as preschools, so make sure to cover the sandbox after sand play is finished! You don’t want neighborhood cats to think they’ve found a new litter box. Place a tarp over the box and weigh it down with rocks between lay sessions.
By pre-planning fun sand play activities, you’ll ensure this early childhood education experience will become a favorite outdoor activity for the kids. Use safe play sand and offer toddler-friendly educational activities for the group. Always cover the sand when not in use to prevent neighborhood cats from using the sand as a litter box.
Paige Dooly - Paige Dooly is the author of nineteen books and novellas and has written and published over 200 articles. As a homeschooling mother of ...
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