Ask most children and they will most definitely agree that the sandpit is one of their favourite parts of play time. The texture of sand makes for a fun tool to mould (and destroy) into castles, hills, and tunnel with. It’s soft enough for young children to play safely in and its endless possibilities to create can keep children busy for hours.
Some may see sand as just sand, but to children, it can provide numerous benefits to their playtime and their learning.
Not just young children are fascinated by sand, sand is able to create a new sensory emotion that most people are intrigued by. Children (and adults) are able to discover their sense of touch with the different textures they can create with dry and wet sand and what this is able to create. Take a child to the beach and they can sit there touching and rolling around in the sand until you say it’s time to go home. It creates a whole new sense for them, as they feel how the sand slips through their hands as well as using hand eye coordination to follow through with activities.
By introducing toys and sand tools children are able to use their creative side of their cognitive thought process by creating imaginary worlds and stories. Little figurines or dolls have beds made out sand and castles have windows made out of stones and twigs. This also forces them to use communication with others to play developing their vocabulary and social skills.
A sandpit is a great form of play and development but before you go racing ahead with the idea of a sand pit a quick design reminder first.
- There needs to be enough room for plenty of children to enjoy the sandpit
- Adequate shade as sand can get quite hot if under direct sunlight
- Water is also an essential element to sand play and can create different textures but make sure your sandpit has a good drainage system so that the water can properly leave the sandpit
If you think your centre or playground could do with a sand pit or your sandpit needs a top up contact us on 1300 363 423 for more information.