My sandbox is one of my most cherished childhood memories. It was the place where I baked cakes, built castles, sifted for gold,  made mudpies, dug wombat holes, and all manner of wonderful imaginatory games.

A sandbox doesn’t have to be a fancy toy – a space in the garden, and a wooden spoon, and a bit of imagination is all it takes!  But if you want to go to a bit more effort, fill a space with clean beach sand, and invest in a bucket and spade. Some play things for a sandpit are:

• Old saucepans
• Smooth edged tin cans
• old Jelly Moulds
• Sifts/Sieves
• Buckets
• Spades
• Spoons
• Rakes
• Watering cans

Water play in the sandpit is amazing fun – and gives a new dimension and texture to the sand – encouraging manual dexterity – but education aside, it’s a great way for kids to indulge their imaginations. So much fun.

Can your child:

• Dripping wet sand through your fingers, to form blobs
• Building a castle with a moat
• Make a jello mould shape
• Can you make a Turtle/ Aligator/ Kangaroo
• Plant “gardens”

Encourage your child to play in the sand – it’s creative, constructive, and safe play. You don’t need to interfere with their play, just let them go, and watch with joy,  at what they create!

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