Q: “My kids love to play in the sand. I have a toddler, preschooler and one in Kindergarten. They all play differently, can you tell me why? And do you have any suggestions other than just sand castles?”

A: There are three stages of play that your children will most likely demonstrate: Functional, Constructive and Dramatic Play.

Functional Play: Toddlers play in sand differently than other age groups. They will watch intently as wet sand drips off their hands, be amazed at how it pours through a sieve, and will often use their senses to explore, including taste! Don’t be surprised if your little one takes a mouthful, they’ll soon find out it doesn’t taste good and will continue using their other senses to explore.

Constructive Play: What is your preschooler doing while in the sand box? Do you find that she is filling buckets, packing it down and turning them over? Is she scooping sand with her hands and creating hills and mounds? She is learning how fun it is to construct things in the sand.

Dramatic Play: As children approach the four-or-five year mark, their imaginations have developed quite a bit. Therefore you will see them building more elaborate villages and towns, digging motes and creeks, and even driving toy cars into pretend gas stations. Often times you will hear them talking to different characters in their make believe town, inviting other children to play along.

To encourage the different stages of play, have on hand several fun toys and tools to play with in the sand. Any plastic household item will work, such as bowls, buckets, ladles, spoons, scoops, muffin and pie tins, colanders, funnels and even cookie cutters. Other items that are readily available and great for playing in the sand are sticks, twigs, rocks, and large pebbles.

Children develop and improve their hand eye coordination and fine motor skills through sand play. They learn to explore the changes sand goes through when it becomes a little wet and then sopping wet, and then back to dry again. Sand is a wonderful form of sensory play.

Sand is not just for the outdoors. To contain the potential mess that sand can make, lay a plastic tablecloth or old shower curtain on the floor or play area. Place the sand tub in the center and keep a dustpan and small broom nearby.

Here are a few ideas for encouraging sand play, both indoors and out:

Indoors:

• Children can write in the sand by filling a shoe box or other similar sized container partially with sand. Give them plastic spoons, straws, unsharpened pencils, sticks, or twigs to write or draw with. Simply move the box back and forth to erase the image and start over.
• Make your own colored sand by adding a few drops of food coloring to a cup or so of clean sand in a zipper sandwich bag. Shake the bag until the color is incorporated. Do not add too much food coloring or sand will become too wet. Layer different colored sands into a jar for a pretty display.
• Make an indoor pond by filling a large plastic storage container with about 5 or so inches of clean sand. Put a bowl of water in the center and let the children play with plastic pond animals such as frogs, fish and other such creatures.
• Using construction paper and white school glue, “draw” out a picture or write a name with the glue, then sprinkle heavily with sand. Wait a few minutes then tap off the excess to create fun designs. Let dry.

Outdoors:

• Create your own dinosaur dig site by burying plastic dinosaurs in a large tub of sand or sandbox. Let children dig for fossils, use sieves to sift the sand and plastic shovels or spoons for excavating.
• On the beach or in a sandbox, encourage your children to make sand structures with different sized containers making an interesting village. Show them how sand can be formed into shapes when it becomes wet, and how to pack it tightly into the container by tapping it with the palm of their hand.
• If you have an outdoor sandbox, be certain that it is covered up when not in use. Cats like using sandboxes as an outdoor litter box.
• Make wet sand sculptures by adding too much water to the sand, then allowing it to drip off your fingertips into piles. Make several piles next to one another and it will look like some sort of medieval or mystical castle.

Get more great summer craft ideas!

Amanda Formaro is the crafty, entrepreneurial mother of four children. She and her husband live in sunny Nevada with a houseful of kids, dogs and cats. They enjoy traveling in the RV, swimming, and riding their four wheelers. While Amanda’s professional background was originally in finance, she chose to stay home to raise her family after her third child was born. Amanda enjoys tole painting, crafting with her kids, walking her dogs and working on her website, FamilyCorner.com Magazine.