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Carla. - April 2024

Sand Play Benefits 

Soon after man found beach, the sandpit was invented for the cave-kids.

Sand play is multi-beneficial to children for the development of their fine motor skills and sensory play.

It’s messy and fun, which of course is why they like it. So if you have an outdoor space and you’re looking for some inspiring ideas to entertain your kids, a backyard sandpit is a great idea.

Sand is proving so beneficial a tool, that sand play therapy is even being applied to adults as a holistic approach to counselling.

While a lot of people think sand play is more for smaller children, older children (and adults!)benefit from sand play as well.

Benefits of Sand Play

  • Sleep: Sand play is meditative and calming for children therefore it can help children with their sleep. Sand play in the hours before bed can make a big improvement to their sleep. 
  • Sensory Development: The tactile experience of playing with sand stimulates the senses, enhancing sensory integration and improving fine motor skills. Feeling the texture of the sand, scooping, pouring, and shaping it can help in refining sensory perception.
  • Creativity and Imagination: Sand play provides an open-ended and unstructured environment where children can explore their creativity freely. From building sandcastles to covering their legs, it fosters imaginative thinking and encourages innovative problem-solving.
  • Social Interaction: Sand pits to beaches are often communal areas where children can interact, cooperate, and communicate with friends or kids they have just met. Playing in the sand promotes social skills such as sharing, taking turns, and negotiating, fostering positive relationships.
  • Cognitive Development: Engaging in sand play involves planning, decision-making, and experimentation, all of which contribute to cognitive development. Children learn about cause and effect, spatial awareness, and basic mathematical concepts through pouring, measuring, and manipulating sand.
  • Emotional Regulation: The soothing and calming nature of sand play can help regulate their emotions and reduce stress and anxiety. The repetitive motions of scooping and pouring sand can be meditative, promoting relaxation and emotional well-being.
  • Physical Exercise: Digging, lifting, and moving sand provide opportunities for physical activity and gross motor skill development. Children develop strength, coordination, and balance as they navigate the sand pit and engage in various movements.

To get your little humans outside and interested in sand play again, sometimes you may just need to be a bit more imaginative and come up with some new and exciting sandpit ideas and activities.


Think outside the sandbox so to speak.