A backyard sandbox offers hours of fun for preschoolers, toddlers and infants. The younger set will require some extra diligence when it comes to sand safety. Babies and toddlers will often try to eat the sand. Some preschoolers will throw the sand in fun or anger. Sand can stick to sweaty hands and can easily get into a child’s eyes. Certain precautions will help ensure that sand play stays safe and allows all involved a fun and memorable experience.
Learning New Skills Through Sand Play
Sand play offers a child a way to have fun while learning new skills. Fine motor skills and coordination can be learned through digging and pouring sand into plastic sand buckets. Sandboxes offer a social outlet and encourage children to play together, to share and to make new friends. Even shy children will learn to interact with others. Make sure to supervise so young children won’t throw sand at each other.
Sand Table Suitable for Small Backyards
Even the smallest of backyards will allow space for a sand table. A sand table allows two or three toddlers space to play in the sand while standing. One bag of inexpensive child-safe sand can be added to the table for hours of sand play fun. Most sand tables have activities built into the unit. Children can pour, sift, scoop and pile the sand.
Traditional Kids’ Sandbox
Small children will find many different ways to enjoy the sand. Preschool boys and girls alike will push dump trucks around, making roads and using shovels to fill up each new load. The sand can be dumped in a new location and the journey begins again. Several toddlers can work together which teaches teamwork.
Sand Toys
Other children will enjoy sifting sand through various sand toys. A bit of water added to the mix will allow older toddlers and preschoolers to mold sand into fun shapes or sandcastles. Infants will enjoy sitting and sifting sand through their fingers. Plastic sand buckets allow toddlers to pour sand back and forth, which helps with coordination.
With several different sizes of plastic sand buckets, a young child will learn measurements such as larger or smaller, or more and less. Most toddlers will enjoy doing these activities over and over.
Safe Play Sand
The quality of sand that is placed into the sandbox is an important consideration. Not all sand is safe for a child to play in. Crushed rock that is made into sand sometimes contains carcinogens and the dust isn’t healthy for a child to breathe in. Make sure to read the labels carefully and research the best sand to use for the sand play area. River sand and beach sand are usually safe for the sandbox.
Sand play, whether in a backyard kids’ sandbox or at a smaller sand table, will offer hours of fun and enjoyment. Pick out and provide a variety of fun sand toys and make sure the play area is full of safe play sand. Proper supervision will keep children safe and will allow the infants, toddlers and preschoolers to have a great time.
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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