Ideas for Sand Play

• Hide plastic eggs, animals, erasers, or balls in the sand. Give the children kitchen tongs and show them how to remove the items. Ask the children to find a certain number of each item. For example, the child could find four erasers or six eggs.
• Purchase plastic flowers from discount stores. Add plastic flowerpots and the flowers to the sandtable. Encourage the children to pretend to plant the flowers.
• Purchase plastic desert animals (lizards, camels, snakes) for the sandtable. Provide books with pictures of desert scenes. Encourage the children to create their own deserts.
• Ask parents to donate clean cooking materials that they no longer use. Add measuring cups, muffin tins, plastic bowls and spoons, and birthday candles. Let the children pretend to bake.

Appropriate Sand Toys

• Clean and empty plastic bottles
• Toy cars and trucks
• Laundry detergent scoops
• Plastic funnels

What Can I Use Instead of Sand?

• Beans (Children should be watched closely and not allowed to put beans
  in their nose or ears. Beans should only be used inside.)
• Small pebbles (Supervise children closely!)
• Packing peanuts

What Does the Child Learn?

• Small muscle development in hands
• Hand to eye coordination
• Getting along with others
• Counting and measuring