Reasons Why Playing in the Sand Is Good for Kids

Like playing in water, playing in sand is soothing and entertaining for children. Even adults can occasionally be caught running their fingers and toes through sand and enjoying its texture. Although sand is naturally found outdoors and can be played with in Summer is the season of playing in the backyard, visiting the beach, and enjoying new outdoor toys. Children have been intrigued by sand for many generations. Sand is a foundational part of the ground in the same way that dirt or clay is, making it available to children for centuries. Before the advent of the modern toys and electronics of today's society, children were forced to find creative methods to play with the outdoor materials found all around them, including sand. Children can play in sand by digging, sifting, building, pouring, and exploring throughout time, and they should be encouraged to continue this method of play. Building a sand castle is a terrific summer activity, and a backyard sandbox is ideal for those at home or far away from the water. A sandbox is also likely to be found at a local playground, sometimes with kinetic motion games, like claws or trucks. Sand is suitable to help young children explore the world around them through play, and to utilize their imaginations. While there are many types of toys available for sand play, young children also become resourceful and use their own fingers and toes to build molds, dig holes, and play with textures.
Reasons Why Playing in the Sand Is Good for Kids
Like playing in water, playing in sand is soothing and entertaining for children. Even adults can occasionally be caught running their fingers and toes through sand and enjoying its texture. Although sand is naturally found outdoors and can be played with in sandboxes or on beaches, it can also be brought inside for children to play on the floor or on sand tables. No matter the location of the sand play, these are eight reasons why playing in the sand is good for kids:
1. It Is an Open-Ended Medium
Children learn the most when faced with open-ended questions and tasks, and sand is a medium that is inherently open-ended. No matter the skill or cognitive level of the child, sand is an appropriate play object. Very young or underdeveloped children can simply sit in sand and take in the texture and qualities of the medium while older children with more sophisticated thought processes can use sand for exploration and creative play. Similarly, there is no specific right or wrong way to play with sand. It is appropriate to manipulate or experiment with sand in any way that a child wishes. Children find this concept of never being wrong both comforting and liberating in their play. Sand has a variety of qualities to it that make it even more open-ended. When it is dry, sand is soft and poured and sifted through the fingers easily, allowing children to explore its texture and mutability. However, dry sand can also be compacted and shaped into a variety of images and figures according to the imagination of the child. The classic example is the sand castle, but children have the ability to manipulate sand into anything that they can imagine. When children add a little water to the sand, the physical qualities of the sand change immensely. Some young children call this "making mud." Children can then explore the properties of wet sand as well. The few physical limitations of sand encourage children to play and experiment with this medium.

2. It Stretches the Imagination
As children begin to understand the physical properties of sand, they have the opportunity to extend their play. Older children can expand their creativity and imaginations through the designs of a variety of buildings, towns, and castles. Once they realize the malleability of the sand, many children investigate the possibility of constructing entire cities and other areas of play. Provide a variety of common and household objects for children to use in combination with their sand creations. Exchange these objects for new ones frequently and watch as children adapt their creations and become inspired to construct new ones. Many children find playing with sand to be relaxing and non-threatening, allowing these children the freedom to express their imaginations in safety and without consequence.

3. It Promotes Physical Development
Muscle in the arms and upper bodies of children is developed further through sand play. By digging, pouring, sifting, and scooping sand, children use their upper bodies and arms in ways that many of their other toys do not require them to work. Large amounts of sand can become very heavy and difficult to move, thereby creating further exercise and muscle-building opportunities for young children. If the sand becomes wet, it becomes even more difficult to scoop and manipulate, flexing the young muscles of children playing in the sand even more. The legs and lower bodies of children get involved from squatting in the sand or from lifting and carrying buckets or bowls of sand to other areas. Additionally, hand-eye coordination and small muscle control is improved through small movements as children play with sand accessories, such as scoops and small shovels. Most children do not notice the physical involvement of sand play because they are too focused on their play and the task.

4. It Encourages Social Skills
When children play together in a common sandbox or at a sand table, they are often faced with problems involving sharing tools, negotiating for play space, and compromising on what to build in the sand. Although each child may have a separate play space, many of them engage in pretend play as young boys and girls come together to "cook" with the sand or construct roadways, dig tunnels, and build towers for a small city. By playing together in a common space, children learn empathy and how to recognize and understand the perspectives of the other children while working together and sharing sand tools.

5. It Promotes Cognitive Development
Children learn the inherent physical properties of sand by playing with it and by comparing wet and dry sand. They can also learn the theory of the conservation of matter as they pour sand from one container into another and compare the amount of sand that fits in each. While playing in sand, children learn to problem solve as they try to figure out how to prevent their towers from continually falling over or their moats from collapsing in on themselves. They discover cause and effect from learning what happens when water is added to the sand. Finally, children learn more vocabulary words that fit specifically to sand play as well as from chatting with other children in the sand play area.

6. It Teaches Mathematical Concepts
Playing with containers of varying sizes and shapes helps to teach children about ideas such as "more than," "less than," and "equal." Through trial and error, children are able to make predictions about which type of container holds more or less sand. Providing measuring spoons or cups could help children learn more specific measures as well as other mathematical terms, such as "empty" and "full" or "heavy" and "light." In time, and with maturity, children can learn how many scoops of different sizes it takes to fill a container. This is an early precursor to learning teaspoons, tablespoons, and cups.

7. It Encourages Scientific Experiments
Bury metal treasures for children and provide magnets. Children can learn about magnetic force while going on a treasure hunt. Set up a rope and pulley system for children to move buckets of sand up to a table or across a sandbox to teach about levers and pulleys. Punch holes of varying sizes in plastic bottles for children, and watch as they discover the differences in hole sizes. Provide other objects for children to construct their own scientific experiments, such as funnels, ramps, and rolling pins. While young children may enjoy using buckets and bowls to make sand castles and moats, an older child may enjoy digging a hole that connects to the sea, and making a natural moat for the sea castle. The water rushing to this type of moat teaches the child about water flow. Observe as the children make their own experiments to discover information not only about sand, but also about basic scientific principles.

8. It Incorporates Artistic Expression
Encourage children to draw pictures in the sand, develop elaborate sand castles, and create interesting molds from household objects, like cups and bowls in addition to sand buckets. As children experiment with the properties of sand and create their own buildings and towns, they can decorate the objects with stones, leaves, and flowers that they find in nature. Provide sand combs and discuss different patterns and designs with children as they draw in the sand. Playing music while children work and play in the sand is another opportunity to encourage children to sing along.

Conclusion

Sand play can be the ideal opportunity to further the development of the minds and bodies of children. No matter the age or development level of the child, sand offers an opportunity to explore and experiment in a safe and inviting environment. Most importantly, children do not consider this play a type of work or learning because it is so fun. This type of play is overwhelmingly positive with numerous reasons why it is good for kids. From stretching the imagination to teaching mathematical and scientific concepts, playing in the sand enhances the imaginations and social skills of children. Toys and other objects are available in Maati Pre School to assist in sand play.