Those of you who know me or who have been following the blog will know that I absolutely loathe sand! Fortunately, not all sand is created equal and I think I have found a way that allows my little ones to experience the sensory wonder of sand, without it getting absolutely everywhere.
Sand art is something that I have seen at various restaurants and markets that we have visited and my daughters have always asked if they can participate. It is actually quite amazing. The images are actually one large adhesive sheet that is then cut up into various sections and panels. You pull off these sections one at a time (or more if you want to use the same colour sand in various parts) and then pour the sand on. Because the image is adhesive the sand sticks to it and you have a ‘coloured in’ panel. You repeat the process until the whole image is full and provided you do it over a tray, you can avoid messy sand spreading all over your house.
Until recently, I thought that this activity was limited to the afore mentioned markets and restaurants until I came across some mini sand art kids at a craft shop. I decided to brave it and give it a go at home.
It was well worth it and there really was very little mess (nothing my vacuum cleaner couldn’t handle) and my little ones really enjoyed it. The feeling of the sand was a great sensory experience for them and the process of peeling off the stickers was amazing for their fine motor skills.
We had some sad left over and with my new found bravery, I handed my girls some blank paper, glue and the rest of the sand to make their own pictures.
I found our sand art kits at a craft shop however I have seen them at party shops, book shops and even some of the larger supermarkets. Keep your eye out for them and if you are feeling brave, pop a couple into your shopping for your little ones.