Description
>>> My History
Long before the iPad and smart phone, there was sand and water. The two are foundational to the earth and offer near limitless possibilities for young children’s imaginations. During the summer months, I take my two-year-old son to a Beach on the shore of Wenzhou. After laying out a blanket, I let him dig moats, carve roadways, and pour bucket after bucket of water.
If young children have a universal happy place, it’s where there is sand and water. But why are they so drawn to it?
Watch a child that is letting water run through their fingers or sifting sand and you are witnessing a complex set of skills being developed and deep level learning taking place.
When children are engaged in playing with natural elements the synapses in their brains are firing like a high speed internet server and they are laying down permanent foundation blocks in the development of their reflexes and fine motor skills.
And all of that from just a little interaction with water and sand or other natural materials!
One of the challenges of facilitating play with natural elements is to provide play pieces that children will engage with willingly so they receive the rich benefit of these activities.
>>> What is the the Benefits of sand and water play?
1. For one thing, open-ended, imaginative play is conducive to learning. There is no right or wrong way to play with sand. A child can feel empowered knowing his or her creation is unique and deserving of recognition. A square block may not fit in a round hole, but a sand mountain, wet or dry, simple or sophisticated, is an achievement in its own right. When children are exploring the possibilities and manipulating sand and water, they are certainly engaging in sensory learning. Making use of a number of senses at one time supports children’s learning as they take in information through a variety of forms and solidify their knowledge. Learning through a variety of sensory experiences can provide a concrete and more in-depth understanding of complex concepts, surrounding different materials and change of state for instance.The sensory values of sand and water play provide a calming and even therapeutic experience for children as their senses are aroused. This certainly allows children to deeply engage in their learning, however slow or passive this may seem, children are relaxed and take-in information almost subconsciously through their senses.
2. Texturally, sand and water are fascinating. There’s a reason adults like digging their toes in the sand, or splashing water on their shoulders on a hot day. In an age of screens, apps, and software innovation, tactile pleasure is especially gratifying, a skin-level reminder that the natural world is composed of sensations: “hot,” “cold,” “rough,” “grainy,” and “smooth.” Young children, of course, are being exposed to these wonders for the first time. They learn new words, new ways of expressing themselves and their experiences.
3. Sand and water play is a vital aspect of any early years provision. It not only provides countless sensory benefits but equally valuable opportunities for exploration, manipulation and discovery as children experiment with digging, scooping, sieving, pouring and mixing sand with water.
Sand and water play also is the ideal activity for developing concepts surrounding STEAM: Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths.Then there’s all the math and science inherent in the properties of sand and water. Why does only so much sand fit in the bucket? Why does a tower without a solid base topple over? Sand and water play introduces children to important “left-brain” concepts such as “less” and “more,” “light” and “heavy,” and “empty and “full.” At the same time, it provides a gateway to more sophisticated ideas — the theory of conservation of matter, the law of gravity, cause and effect reasoning, and logical analysis.
>>> 5 Types of elements
This relatively simple play station provides scope for at least 5 different types of interaction with the elements and other children:
- Load shifting from ground to platform and workbench
- Sorting between the different outlet pipes
- Sifting sand or mulch through the mesh
- Building with sand on the work table
- Role play with the walkie talkie
We KIDSPLAYPLUS strive to provide products that children will love, play designers will be happy to specify and that are of such high quality the owners of play spaces will appreciate their longevity and low whole-of-life cost.
Talk with us to get more information on any products or ideas you have for playing with the elements.
