Ideas for Sand Play

• Two and three year olds will enjoy indoor and outdoor sand play. Provide dishpans with two to three inches of sand in the bottom. Let the children pour a small amount of water to the sand. Provide the children with plastic cups and scoops. Talk about how the sand feels.
• Provide two plastic dishpans. Fill one with sand and leave the other empty. Give the children plastic scoops and spoons. Let the children scoop the sand from one dishpan and fill the other dishpan.
• Purchase plastic sand sifters from discount stores. Put the sifters in the sandtable. Let one child pour the sand into the sifter as another child holds the sifter.
• Save clean, empty paper towel rolls and place them in the sandtable. Let the children pour sand through the rolls.

Appropriate Sand Toys

• Plastic measuring cups
• Plastic shovels and pails
• Sifters
• Toy cars

What Can I Use Instead of Sand?

• Oatmeal
• Rice
• Easter grass

Food items, such as oatmeal and rice, should only be used indoors. These items must be kept in covered, airtight containers to prevent bug infestation.

Do NOT use:

• Beans (children may poke beans in their nose or ears)
• Small stones

What Does the Child Learn?

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