Using sand therapy in a dhow. Sand therapy for children

For young children who do not yet know how to speak and express their emotions using phrases, psychologists have developed sand therapy. The technique allows you to express the child’s emotions and feelings, bring him closer to communication with peers and develop fine motor skills. In addition, sand therapy perfectly develops imagination, imaginative thinking and allows you to unleash the creative potential of the baby.

The education system in kindergartens is increasingly developing in the field of intellectual development of the child. The emotional sphere gradually faded into the background, which negatively affected the spiritual and sensitive sphere of children. To help comprehensive personality development, educators increasingly began to use sand therapy.

A relatively new technique reveals the child’s ability to express himself and creatively understand the world. This is not just “digging in the sandbox,” but the use of various developmental devices for these purposes. Among them there may be figures, beads, cubes, miniature cars, pebbles, tree leaves, coins.

The sandbox is an excellent mediator for establishing contact with a child. If the baby cannot yet express his feelings, excitement or joy with words, then through sand paintings it will be easy for him to depict the desired state. In addition, children undergoing sand therapy develop tactile sensations and stimulate the nerve endings located at the fingertips.

Sand therapy video

Sand therapy program for preschoolers

The sand therapy program is designed to influence a wide range of problems in the development of children:

  • relieving muscle and emotional tension;
  • preventive work to reduce impulsivity, excessive physical activity, aggression and anxiety;
  • formation of healthy self-esteem, acquisition of self-confidence, disclosure of personal potential;
  • creative self-expression;
  • development of fine motor skills and tactile sensations;
  • removing barriers to communication with peers;
  • providing assistance after psychological trauma;
  • formation of morality, humane attitude towards others;
  • taking responsibility for actions;
  • adaptation to changing environmental conditions.

The sand therapy program always meets the following requirements:

  • dynamic presentation of material: from simple techniques to complex ones;
  • visual accessibility (the child’s psyche is more focused on imaginative thinking than verbal thinking);
  • individual approach by taking into account the baby’s personal qualities;
  • the principle of integration of educational areas, which allows you to reflect through games the emotions received in the surrounding reality.

Sand therapy method

Many techniques and methods have been developed for sand therapy that allow for the comprehensive development of children. The most effective are:

  1. Hide and seek. In order to build his world, a child needs to bury a toy in the sand. After this, you need to find it and tell about why this particular figurine was hidden. Through the game, logical thinking develops and unconscious fears are revealed.
  2. Story. First, the child needs to place the character he likes in the center of the sand, then add one figure to it. In this case, it is necessary to compose a fairy tale about the characters. Through emotions and a historical prism, many qualities of the baby become visible to the psychologist.
  3. Thematic oriented world. The child is offered a choice of one of the topics: “My kindergarten”, “My family”, “Me and my friends”. The feelings depicted with the help of active objects in the center of the sandbox are the key to deciphering the baby’s feelings and experiences.
  4. Rain of sand. Using his hands, the child should form a small stream of rain, then even more grains of sand should fit into his palms. With the help of this technique, children’s psychological tension and aggression are reduced, fears go away and an understanding of involvement in the actions that occurs appears.
  5. Patterns in the sand. Using fingers, hands, and palms, the child must create shapes on the surface. Then he must talk about these images: what he sees and feels. Exercise increases the baby’s social activity and makes him self-confident.

Fairy tales on sand sand therapy practice

The goal of "tale on the sand" therapy is to:

  • Development of balance in the emotional state of children.
  • Acquisition of tactile sensitivity, acuity of sensations, perceptions, imagination.
  • Increasing vocabulary.

It is necessary to build a sun and a cloud from cardboard. You will also need drawing sticks, flower-shaped molds and bunny figurines. No more than three children are allowed to participate in the lesson. The teacher shows the children a picture of the sun and asks questions about who came to visit them today. The children answer “the sun.” Next, the teacher continues his speech in the form of a fairy tale developing in the storyline.

You can use any variations of events, the main thing is that all persons involved in the survey participate in the conversation. Then you are invited to touch all the objects and talk about your feelings from contact with them. The fairy tale continues in the same vein that children feel tactilely and non-verbally everything that happens around them. The teacher shows footprints in the sand and asks who could have left such animals? Children also try to make the same marks. The fabulous evening ends with a farewell to the characters.

Fairy tales on the sand develop all the necessary psychological sensations in a child, immerse him in a creative direction and set him up to continue the dialogue. As a result, a holistic and comprehensively developed personality of the child will be formed.

Conclusion

Sand therapy is recommended for all children without exception. But this technique will be especially useful for those children who have psychological communication complexes, an inability to express feelings and problems in the family. Psychologists, together with educators, prepare individual sand training programs that allow children to develop their personal potential to the maximum.

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Since the time of Carl Jung, European practical psychology has paid special attention to such a method as sand therapy. It has been proven that a variety of play activities with sand and water help correct psychosomatic disorders in children and adults. Sand therapy develops psychomotor skills, spatial thinking, speech, imagination and creative abilities of the baby, in addition, it awakens interest in knowing oneself and the natural world around us. Recently, this technique has become in demand in kindergartens and is actively used by teachers in working with preschoolers during walks, scheduled classes and games.

The importance of sand activities in preschool educational institutions

Using the sand therapy method invites us on a journey where sometimes it will not be easy, but always interesting. The process unfolds like in a fairy tale, towards the inner deeper meaning, dreams, lost parts of oneself and relationships. I am continually amazed and inspired by the figures that come to life in paintings, how they connect the past and the future, provide an opportunity to get to know oneself and lead along the path of individuation.

V. Andreeva, sand therapist, Jungian analyst

Sand therapy is one of the areas of art therapy, which includes all activities related to sand:

  • role-playing and educational creative games with ordinary sand;
  • projective games in the Jungian sandbox, aimed at diagnosis, correction, and having a therapeutic effect;

    Role-playing and educational creative games in the sandbox contribute to the development of the personality of students

  • sand animation on special backlit tables;

    Sand animation on special backlit tables captivates children with its uniqueness

  • creating paintings of compositions on whatman paper or a tray using colored sand, cereals, and natural materials;

    Creating compositions on whatman paper or a tray using colored sand requires accuracy and precision of movements

  • sculpting various figures and molds, constructing buildings and entire sand cities from kinetic sand.

    Kinetic sand holds its shape well and at the same time has a high flowability

The main goal of sand therapy is to create favorable conditions for the harmonization of the child’s mental state and personal growth.

Tasks

The implementation of sand therapy tasks is complex, manifested in the intersection of different areas and methods of training and development:

  • Gaming:
    • theater on the sand - acting out simple literary and fairy-tale plots;
    • role-playing game based on the creative self-expression of children;
    • a didactic game, for example, using a stick you can draw letters, write numbers, pouring sand from container to container, and get acquainted with the concept of volume.
  • Emotional-psychological:
    • stabilization of the emotional state, neutralization of nervous tension, getting rid of fears and aggression, self-healing and manifestation of a sense of security, openness in communication;
    • gaining experience in independently overcoming conflicts in the process of game interaction, cultivating mutual respect and the ability to listen to each other;
    • formation of an elementary level of reflection, a positive attitude towards oneself, the world around us and peers.
  • Sensorimotor:
  • FEMP:
    • formation of initial mathematical ideas about shape, set of objects, number, volume, spatial and temporal concepts;
    • mastering primary skills of counting and measurement.
  • Speech development:
    • enrichment of vocabulary through playful communication with adults;
    • developing the skills of independent coherent storytelling and retelling while playing with sand;
    • the formation of competent dialogical and monologue speech through theatrical play with figures in the sand;
    • improving speech activity: the ability to maintain a conversation, share your impressions and feelings.
  • Artistic and aesthetic - stimulating the disclosure of the child’s inner potential, the development of imagination and creative thinking through:

Contraindications to the use of the sand therapy method:

  • attention deficit hyperactivity disorder;
  • tendency to pulmonary and allergic diseases;
  • skin disorders (injuries and cuts).

Video: sand therapy for children

Sand activity in kindergarten

Lessons with sand can be carried out by a teacher for educational and developmental purposes, as well as by a teacher-psychologist, speech therapist for the purpose of diagnosing the emotional state of a child or as part of a correctional program.

Carl Jung was the first to use sand to work with a child (read more about him on the Great Psychologists blog page). Later, sand therapy for preschool children began to be used en masse. Now parents are trying to organize classes at home or send their children to a specialized development group. And it gives tangible results!

Sand becomes a kind of means of communication for the child. This is almost the first play area in which he learns to play on his own. Small grains attract like a magnet, because you can come up with so many games with them! They can be sifted, tunnels, houses and figures can be built.

Sand activities help preschool children express themselves. Toddlers do not yet know how to speak, and older children do not form their thoughts well enough. In the sandbox, a child discovers his inner self.

It's also a great way to develop fine motor skills in your fingers. Many receptors are concentrated on their pads. Sand grains stimulate their work and develop tactile sensations. In addition, sand activities develop the child's imagination and creativity.

How is sand therapy useful for preschool children?

Sand has the ability to calm children. While playing, they turn into active participants in the process. They are the directors of their own game. The ability to control the process stimulates interest - kids become more diligent. With sand, the child sees the result of his work. This makes him responsible and helps him develop new qualities inherent in an adult.

The main thing is that the child derives both benefit and interest from sand therapy. Finger exercises here are harmoniously intertwined with acting skills. This stabilizes the child’s emotional state, so therapy can be used from a very early age, when children begin to experience their first fears.

The figures that a child sculpts from sand indicate his internal anxieties. The task of the mother and teachers is to figure out what problems worry him and help him in time, calm him down, and redirect his attention. For this, one lesson is not enough. Sometimes it takes months of gaming sessions.

The goal of sand therapy is not to change the child’s character, but, on the contrary, to give him freedom of expression.

It has the following advantages:

  • Children do not need special knowledge or skills to practice, so even kids at an early age can practice with sand.
  • There are no errors in the game. Everyone plays the way they want, so there is no reason to be upset. Everyone can create their own world!
  • The child learns to get out of difficult situations. He's not alone. There should be a mentor nearby (parents, educators, therapist) who will help him overcome difficulties.
  • Sand therapy for children with sand develops: the child’s inner world, his logic, the ability to fantasize, and think figuratively. Using the example of a sandbox, it is easy to show the difference between good and evil, bad and good deeds.

The main goals of therapy include:

  • formation of a positive perception of the world;
  • strengthening communication skills;
  • development of skills to solve complex problems and correct errors;
  • elimination of aggression, isolation;
  • development of the child’s inner “I”, independence and self-confidence;
  • improvement of cognitive processes (for example, memory and attention).

Sand therapy: popular exercises and types of games

For preschool children, sand is an opportunity to give away their negative charge and bad mood, and receive positive emotions in return, so playing with sand is not just fun, but an important part of development. You can get even more benefit from therapy if the child plays one of the games developed by psychologists with an adult.

For example, consider four effective sand therapy exercises:

  1. Sensitive palms. Through the development of tactile sensations, the child learns to identify different states of sand (for example, soft and hard).
  2. Prints. This exercise for children is very simple: the child leaves his own footprints in the sand or schematically draws animal paw prints.
  3. Secret. An adult hides an object in the sand. The child’s task is to use the clues to find and dig it up. Then it’s the baby’s turn – he buries it, and the adult looks for it.
  4. Drawing. Using fingers or a stick, the child draws numbers, letters, and geometric shapes in the sand. If your skills allow, you can create entire paintings.

These games seem primitive to adults. But they have a positive effect on the psyche of children. If you regularly engage in sand therapy, it will have a beneficial effect on the development of speech, memory and attention of the child.

There are two types of therapeutic sand games:

  • Individual;
  • Group.

Individual child lessons help determine:

  • The presence of internal conflicts caused by external circumstances (war, disasters);
  • Aggressive state, its direction;
  • Problems within the family. In this case, sand figures act as a prototype of adults, parents, close relatives;
  • Reveal hidden personality resources and internal capabilities. For example, a child creates magical objects that help solve problems;
  • Possible reaction to difficulties (the child may show concern or, conversely, indifference)
  • Level of development of self-perception, tendency to introspection, self-knowledge.

Playing with sand is useful for groups of preschool children. They help determine:

  • Microclimate, relationships between children;
  • Roles section;
  • Behavioral style of each group member.

The role of sand therapy for children with disabilities

If for healthy children games are simply useful, then for children with mental disorders it is an integral part of recovery. Corrective therapy options are used to help patients with emotional and behavioral neurotic disorders. It is also used as an auxiliary method for developing sensory skills and relieving psycho-emotional stress.

Sandbox exercises work best when working with children with:

  • Mental retardation - mental retardation;
  • Disabilities of health - HIA;
  • General underdevelopment of speech – OHP.

Children suffering from these deviations are united by instability of emotional manifestations, difficulties with self-control, outbursts of aggression, inability to find a common language with peers, sudden and constant changes in mood, increased anxiety, rude behavior with others, and fussiness. They are also haunted by fear. What types of fear are there, and why fight it, you can additionally read in the article “How to deal with fear?”

It is important that the child in sand therapy independently forms the character of his play and character figures. They interact with each other, communicate, conduct dialogues. All these actions are also initiated by the baby. It happens that he involves an adult in the game and defines a role for him. For example, it allows you to control a character. The adult’s task is to observe the child and understand his experiences.

The therapy is suitable for 2-year-old children with poorly developed speech. When working with them, the “Sand Letter” exercise is used. Its task is to improve the perception of words, correct pronunciation, and develop reading and writing skills. Different games are aimed at eliminating different types of deviations.

Children who are lagging behind in intellectual development spend about 1 hour in the sandbox. As a rule, they do not build a consistent plot, but the confrontation, the division of the sandbox into separate zones, and the parallel play of the game are clearly monitored.

Therapy is used not only as a method of treating neurotic diseases, but also as a prevention of mental disorders. By acting out imaginary situations and fairy tales in the sand, the child receives a powerful preventative against all types of disorders. By devoting more play time to such activities, it is possible to protect the child from negative emotions.

How to organize group sessions?

To organize a sandbox you need sand, best of two types: dry and moistened. Experts advise using fine-grained quartz sand with grains of 0.1-0.3 units. You can choose any shade - from red to white. It is better that the material is soft and flows easily. It will be more pleasant to work with him.

You will also need two large containers for sandboxes. One is with bottom lighting. It is useful for dry material. The second one has a moisture-resistant bottom and sides. It is needed for working with wet sand. It is better if the sides of the sandbox are higher.

When working with sand, the child will be able to use various small toys depending on age. Children 2-3 years old will require larger toys that they cannot swallow. Older children can take Kinder type toys. Objects made from different materials are also suitable: clay, plastic, metal, wood.

The therapy session begins with each participant choosing toys that they like. There is no need to rush your child to choose. He must have freedom of action and be guided by his preferences. Then the baby arranges the toys in the sandbox at his own discretion. The constellation process occurs differently for everyone, from which the teacher can draw the first conclusions about the child’s psycho-emotional state.

The child plays with sand independently. Adult intervention is minimal. For example, he can help if the baby has difficulties or asks him to play. Games can be different: you can use situations from everyday life, invent fairy tales, show professions, draw plants, sculpt animals, household items.

It is better that when working with sand, the child is focused on one task with a certain type of toy. In the audience where children are, you can turn on pleasant, slow music. It is acceptable to practice in silence. It depends on the preferences of the children's group.

Stages of sand therapy

So, sand therapy is not just a game that is immediately forgotten after finishing. This is a method of psychological assistance to a child, so it requires careful study by a teacher or psychologist, especially if the child has a neurotic disorder.

The essence of training with sand and a child is to reveal hidden phobias and disguised deviations.

This goal can be achieved by carefully following these steps:

  1. Time in the sandbox. A specialist or parent organizes an exercise with sand and toys. At this stage, the ward or group of preschoolers is observed.
  2. Discussion. After the game is over, the reproduced situations are analyzed. The specialist draws conclusions regarding each character who appeared during the game. He explains what his role was, what he means, what problems he signals. This will allow parents to approach raising their child more consciously.
  3. Repeat session. Of course, one lesson is not enough. You need to not stop there and practice until the alarming symptoms disappear. The psychological sandbox is appropriate at any age, even adults. The more classes are conducted, the better each problem can be worked out.

How do children react to sand?

Many therapists insist that the imaginary world children create in the sandbox is an example of their relationship with their mothers. In other words, when working with sand, the child reflects the mother's unconscious.

It doesn't matter how the baby plays. Some children like to put their hands completely in the sand. They like it. They have a satisfied smile, and immediately peace sets in and aggression goes away. The child tunes into a calm, creative mood.

Other children are afraid to even touch the sand with their fingertips. They are distrustful and wait for adult support. At first, it is even difficult for them to trust a parent, teacher or psychologist. They gradually dip their fingers into the sandbox and only after they understand that it is not dangerous do they begin to create.

When playing with sand, a child may prefer dry or wet material. It happens that children pour a lot of water, turning the sand into a liquid substance, and arrange hide-and-seek in it: they bury and dig up small objects. In the process, they try to feel important and valuable to the adult mentor.

Sand therapy classes in preschool institutions make it possible to free up the baby’s internal space for his personality. This is why it is so important to give him freedom of choice at the very beginning of the session. He must be allowed to break the negative projection of the family and become an independent creator of his life.

The Jungian technique is a non-verbal form of interaction with a child, so it allows you to penetrate into the deeper layers of the psyche. Sessions with sand for a child become a driving force for healing and resolution of internal and external conflicts. Organizing the process is simple, and the benefits are maximum, so teachers and psychologists recommend including sand therapy in the daily life of preschoolers.

One of the methods of analytical psychotherapy – sand therapy – allows you to develop a child’s imagination, normalize the psycho-emotional state, and activate adaptive functions at any age. Art therapists, business trainers, and special education teachers use sand therapy in preschool educational institutions. To solve each specific problem, various sand therapy techniques are used.

Sand treatment is one of the areas art-therapy.

The “father” of sand games or sandplay is traditionally considered to be K. Jung and his followers. C. Jung developed the technique of active imagination, which is considered a theoretical basis. Emergence sandplay began in the 1920s with the development of the “world test” by Charlotte Bühler, which was successfully used as a diagnostic tool in child psychiatry.

In 1930, a new technique appeared, which was implemented by Margaret Lowenfeld, who founded the London Institute, and it was she who first placed toy figures in a substance. This technique was borrowed from the “world test.” Margaret’s wards created entire large-scale compositions in the sandbox and called them “My world" Thanks to this, a new method emerged, called the “world technique”. This method was continued in the 50s by C. Jung’s follower Dora Kalff, combining “world technology” and the Jungian direction, and thereby creating sand therapy.

Dora Kalff's discovery was that sand Pictures created by children can become a reflection of their thoughts and experiences. Application of this useful The technique has been tested not only on young patients, but also on mature people.

Sandplay uses both non-verbal means (when creating a plot) and verbal ( story about the finished painting or inventing a fairy tale that reveals the essence of the creation). This method is widely used art therapists, Gelstatt therapy specialists, family and child psychotherapists, educators and speech therapist V dhow.

Features of the method

The method is suitable for all age categories. As soon as a person dips his palms into the material, his imagination begins to paint colorful pictures of a golden beach, the bright blue of the sea and white flakes of clouds slowly floating across the sky. Just as sand allows water to pass through, it also absorbs negative energy. The smallest grains of sand, only connected together in a certain way, allow you to create your own work. They symbolize life in which a person, by arranging events and thoughts in a certain way, gets the desired results.

A complex effect on the human psyche is achieved through tactile stimulation of the very sensitive nerve endings of the palms and hands. A state of meditation arises and nervous tension is relieved. Based on the images and symbols resulting from drawing, one can draw conclusions about the specifics of personal problems and identify human needs. Studying what is captured, we see a three-dimensional image of the inner world, unconscious problems and conflicts.

The goal of therapy is to develop self-acceptance in the child, teach him to trust and love himself.

Therapy goals:

  • nurturing a positive attitude towards life and oneself;
  • fostering responsibility for one’s actions;
  • training the ability to trust yourself and exercise self-control over your actions;
  • treatment of excessive anxiety when planning actions and overcoming obstacles;
  • development of self-confidence.

Principles of the method

Sand therapy is based on creating figures or images on a plane. Initially, you need to conduct testing by asking you to create your own image and describe it in words. The children's audience views this as a game, which is actually a powerful diagnostic tool and correctional technique. You can practice while listening to music or listening to a fairy tale, depending on the purpose of the specific procedure.

The method is used as an independent method or as an integral part of the following treatment areas:

  • sand art therapy;
  • psychology;
  • speech therapy;
  • development of speech, writing, counting, memory and attention;
  • therapy aimed at developing self-awareness and self-respect;
  • identifying negative thoughts and learning to cope with them;
  • influence on several family members in order to correct behavioral disorders;
  • child psychoanalysis.

Method capabilities

Sand therapy in kindergarten will allow you to prepare your very first lunch and build your first house. Being a reflection of the inner world, sand therapy provides the following:

  1. Creates a natural, comfortable environment for the child’s creativity, which stimulates his creative activity.
  2. Revives abstract images, makes it easier to understand the addition of letters into words, numbers into mathematical operations.
  3. Gives children the opportunity to “live” the situation together with the heroes of fairy tales.
  4. Provides a transition from reality to a fairy tale, makes it possible to check the correctness of the choice of solution in a given situation.

Children with speech disorders have complex emotional disturbances, which is reflected in the inconsistency of emotional reactions to a specific situation. This complicates contact with peers and leads to hyperactivity or inhibition. This gives rise to the need to include a wide variety of methods in working with children. It has been proven that sand therapy allows you to develop communication abilities, teaches you to express and understand yourself and your feelings.

Indications for therapy

There are the following indications for sand therapy:

  • experiencing an age crisis;
  • inability to put into words your experiences;
  • presence of psychological trauma;
  • inability to make decisions independently;
  • delayed psycho-speech development;
  • emotional inhibition, “stinginess”;
  • psychotherapy for various addictions;
  • reducing tension;
  • development of all types of sensitivity;
  • normalization of muscle tone;
  • broadening one's horizons;
  • increased anxiety, emotional lability.

Relevance sandplay is very high nowadays. Through tactile Feel Not only does speech and cognition develop, but children also get rid of unmotivated aggression, and the teacher begins to understand his students better.

Psychotherapy spread with sand kindergartens and schools not everywhere, but soon this technique will be mandatory for everyone educationalinstitutions With providing special equipment. It is important to use this method in working with children with features, having onr,zpr, violations vision, cerebral palsy, disabled people. It is enough just to give such children the instructions to build, and they will begin to create entire universes.

Contraindications

  • attention deficit, hyperactivity;
  • epileptic seizures;
  • psychiatric illnesses;
  • increased anxiety;
  • obsessive-compulsive neurosis;
  • dust allergic reactions;
  • lung diseases;
  • skin diseases and hand injuries.

Psychotherapists use the method with children suffering from attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

Equipment for classes

The following devices are used for therapeutic play:

  • a waterproof box, the walls of which are painted blue and the bottom is blue;
  • special sandbox that changes color - tablet;
  • clean sand, which must be moistened during certain games;
  • a set of figures symbolizing buildings, people, animals, cars;
  • symbolic objects that will represent wishes made, treasure chests, treasures;
  • fairy-tale heroes - good and evil;
  • religious items and souvenirs;
  • natural objects - shells, twigs, cones;
  • home stuff;
  • bolts, screws;
  • plastic letters and numbers, geometric shapes.

After testing, educational games for preschoolers begin according to their needs, age, identified disorders, and cognitive disorders.

In the future, you can include interactive, educational activities and only then - projective games and exercises.

Requirements for a teacher

Starting the game, little hands come into contact with a unique universe. It is necessary to create a friendly, trusting environment, take into account all the nuances of the voice, its timbre, and observe the following important parameters:


Sand therapy for preschool children develops fine motor skills of the hand, stimulates blood circulation in the brain, accelerates mental processes, and normalizes psychological reactions. It is necessary to connect color therapy techniques to this process, since they are powerful signals for personality development.

Game techniques

What is needed for sand therapy at home

If parents want to organize a sandplay Houses, then for this they will need:

  • pallet;
  • sand;
  • Miniature figures;
  • Pebbles, plants, etc. to create a certain landscape.

Depending on the objectives, sand therapy can take place in the form of games aimed at:

  • development of phonemics;
  • correction of sound pronunciation;
  • literacy training;
  • educational games;
  • family sand therapy;
  • projection games.

The lesson includes the following plan:

  1. We introduce the child to the sandbox, explain that the blue side symbolizes the sky, that you can create any type of terrain: mountains, deserts, and by spreading the sand - the blue sea.
  2. We give you the opportunity to hold in your hands a collection of geometric shapes, animals, and household items.
  3. The figures that the baby chooses symbolize his condition today. The most important thing is to ask him to tell you what he thinks about the selected figures.
  4. We carefully observe the baby: how he enters the situation, with whom he identifies himself.
  5. We teach the child to be careful with materials.
  6. We formulate the topic at the beginning of sand therapy, conduct the classes according to the plan, and after its completion it is important to draw a conclusion about the work done, put all the used objects and toys in their places, and clean up after yourself.

Games to develop auditory attention and memory

  • Games aimed at increasing vocabulary and constructing detailed phrases.

By the age of three, a person can pronounce basic words correctly. Some children speak unclearly, swap syllables and letters in words, and place stress incorrectly. If he is not attentive to speech problems, by the age of 5 he realizes that he is speaking incorrectly and begins to feel embarrassed about it and withdraws into himself. You can arrange speech games in the sand. To do this, children draw letters, learn to form syllables and pronounce them loudly or quietly, in a chant, in a whisper.

Having placed different figures in a container, we teach the child to name the animals, write - what letter its name begins with, and what sounds these animals make. You can play tic-tac-toe.

  • Educational geographical games on the sand.

After simple games with building houses, rivers, seas and boats, we begin to develop spatial thinking. For classes, a map of the world or continents made independently in the form of a puzzle is suitable. To do this, you need to purchase two identical geographical maps in the store and divide one into 4-6 fragments. We give the child a sample card and offer to put together a puzzle. Gradually we begin to fold continents and oceans. Then we complicate the game by making a “sea” at the bottom of the sandbox, spreading the sand. During the game, we pronounce the names of countries, their capitals, and find out who lives there. For example, in France the capital is Paris, and the French live there.

For each country we select characteristic vegetation and animals, placing palm trees, elephants, and crocodiles in the sandbox. We explain what a tropical climate is and why birches don’t grow there. You can travel to the North Pole by first making a supply of salt, polystyrene foam or cotton wool for snow.

  • Fantastic games with transformers on the sand.

We imitate the life of other planets, the lunar landscape, Star Wars, which will be especially interesting to boys, will help them realize their desire to be a superhero, teach them to fight and win.

Depending on the age of children, in addition to geographical and fantasy games, there are the following types of educational games:

  • historical;
  • find logical pairs;
  • learn to eliminate unnecessary things;
  • take a tour of the city;
  • count objects, build logical series;
  • learn to navigate: what is - above, below, right, left.

Projective games

The peculiarity identified by S. Freud of attributing one’s feelings and desires to external objects is very helpful in working with children. The child is asked to do the following:

  • describe the existing images in the sand and endow them with some qualities;
  • create a single whole from disparate parts hidden in the sand;
  • come up with a story or fairy tale with characters and objects from existing figures in the sand;
  • draw a non-existent animal, and others.

It must be remembered that projective techniques cannot be interpreted unambiguously; they are socially and situationally determined and are aimed at studying the child’s personality as a whole. Given that these techniques are not sufficiently standardized, they are used for diagnosis and treatment by psychotherapists.

Sand therapy includes a wide variety of individual and group games and activities. Illuminated boards or sand of various colors are actively used. This will help the child express his existing emotional state.

A series of games and exercises with sand from books T. Zinkevich - Evstigneeva “Miracles on the Sand” contribute to the development of tactile-kinesthetic sensitivity, fine motor skills, creative imagination, and help in understanding one’s external and internal world.

Here are some games:

  • Hand impressions. With the help of this exercises The baby learns to evaluate sensations. The teacher or parent shows the student a print of his or her palm
  • on the sand, the patient repeats the same. The hand is pressed and plunged into the pan.

First, the presenter describes his feelings. He tells his story about sand, what kind of material it is, soft or rough, how he feels small particles with his skin. Then follows the child's story about sand.

  • Rain or waterfall. This game is a good way to relieve muscle tension and aggression. The teacher or presenter says that the waterfall has begun. The little person pours sand onto the back of the adult's hand, and then he performs the exercise for the child.
  • Creating patterns. Draw various patterns on the sand using fingers, fists, and brushes, and then tell what the child sees when he looks at them. This can be flowers, animals, branches, etc. This exercise has a positive effect on psycho-emotional condition of children.
  • Hide and seek. The game helps in clarifying the psychological problems of the ward and helping to get rid of them. The preschooler is offered a choice of several objects, which he must bury in the sand, and then dig up and tell about all the hidden objects.
  • Playing the plot. The psychologist invites the patient to create his own world using a choice of miniature figures. If target sand therapy - getting rid of aggression, then the little person will choose negative characters and cause war and destruction, thereby relieving tension and calming his anger.

Psychologist's advice to parents: how to decipher the signs

From sandplay specialist Ulyana Naumova you can hear the following:

  • The kid can make any buildings and in the ways he wants, adhering to three main rules: do not pour sand outside the pallet, do not destroy the buildings of other children if he plays in a group.
  • Parents need to monitor what their child is building. For example, if he is building a house whose walls are very thick, it means that he has a desire for security, which he may lack, and wants to strengthen his internal boundaries so that everyone notices them and does not cross them.
  • Power is a symbol of the fact that he has no boundaries, which is why there is no comfort.
  • The appearance of candles or a fire indicates the baby’s lack of warmth and care. The presence of chaos in the child’s play space shows what kind of disorder is inside the patient or foreshadows the immediate start of change.
  • It is also important to observe the little person’s play and ask him questions: why did this particular composition come about, what significance do all these structures have for him. With daily peace building, the baby’s behavior improves, sleep becomes stronger, anxiety and tension go away.”

Conclusion

Drawing with sand will help a child relax; it has a fascinating effect on viewers and artists. Sand therapy can be performed with music and allows you to solve many problems in diagnosis, treatment and development of cognitive abilities. In this case, almost all types of analyzing organs are involved in the process:

  • vision;
  • hearing;
  • tactile sensitivity;
  • sensory perception.

Sand therapy for preschool children allows you to develop speech, motor skills, hearing, sociability, creativity, creative abilities. In addition, it relieves stress, eliminates fears, helps express internal conflicts and experiences, and increases self-esteem. Sand therapy promotes the formation of self-esteem in a small individual and teaches him to understand himself.

5

Happy child 28.05.2017

Dear readers, have you ever thought that playing in the sand is not only fun, but also useful? It turns out that children do not just act out some scenes, make Easter cakes or make “rain” in the sandbox, but also actively help themselves cope with problematic moments. Not consciously, of course, but that’s exactly what happens.

Sand therapy, like other art therapy methods, uses imagination and creative thinking instead of pills and drugs. And it’s definitely worth starting to practice sand therapy in the summer, during the holiday season, seas and beaches.

Today on the blog we will introduce you to sand therapy in working with children and bring to your attention a selection of games for practicing with your child at home. I give the floor to the presenter of the Happy Child column, Anna Kutyavina, and then I will expand on the topic of the article.

Sand therapy in child development

Hello, dear readers of Irina’s blog! Who among us did not love fun and mischievous games with sand as a child? When, with the help of a small shovel, a bucket and a rake, it was possible to create entire worlds and discover new planets. And if you add pebbles, chestnuts, sticks... Eh! It was impossible to stop such a creator, right?

And let them say that times have changed, and now children are only interested in gadgets and cartoons. Anyway, in the warm season, playgrounds are always filled with noisy children, most of whom end up in the sandbox. At least, this is what happens here, and sometimes getting my son out of the sand for lunch or sleep can be very difficult for me. Yes, I don’t limit him in such games, because I know about their effectiveness firsthand - I’ve devoted more than one year to working with children in correctional and developmental activities in the sandbox. And every time I am pleasantly surprised at what wonderful results can be achieved with its help.

In the previous article of the section, we got to know each other better and its types, including a brief look at sand therapy. Now I propose to dwell on it and understand in more detail in what cases it is best to use sand games and how they can help.

Sand therapy - where did it come to us and who will need it?

Sand therapy is a separate and very effective area of ​​projective psychotherapy. According to tradition, Jung and his students are considered the founder of the method.
What does sand therapy tell us? First of all, it reminds us that our subconscious constantly sends us symbols, signs and tips with which we can cope with problems, difficulties, illnesses and solve important life issues.

Sand therapy is actively used in their practice by both child and adult psychologists, art therapists, and fairytale therapists. Even kindergarten teachers often resort to sand games as an auxiliary method of working with children. This means that nothing prevents you and me from creating a sandbox at home and actively working with it.

Possibilities of sand therapy

Playing in the sand is, you see, a very pleasant therapy.

Relaxation and tranquility

Even simple pouring, sifting, tactile contact with this bulk material helps to calm down, relax, and “ground.” Try it yourself, even if you haven’t done anything like this for a long time! Just plunge your hands into the cool sand and... forget about everything. After all, peace and quiet joy will immediately come to your soul.

Self-expression and development of creativity

In addition, sand games contribute to children's self-expression and the development of their creative abilities. The sand “sheet” can always be “rewritten” if something didn’t work out the first time. In this it differs favorably from paper with paints. Therefore, many children enjoy drawing in the sand.

Opportunity to express your feelings

In the sandbox, the baby can safely express and live his emotions and feelings, and pour out exciting experiences into it. Not every child can, knows how and wants to share his feelings verbally, through speech. But an attentive parent will be able to see his difficulties simply by observing his behavior in the sand. And the baby himself will feel better after such games. After all, the subconscious doesn’t care whether emotions were played out in reality or “for fun.” Lived means lived and sent to the treasury of everyday experience.

Development of fine motor skills, imagination, development of child’s speech

Working in the sandbox helps develop a child’s fine motor skills, imaginative thinking, attention, and imagination. And this is exactly what we strive for when coming up with various activities for children.

Playing with sand helps develop a child’s speech, which is why they are actively used by speech therapists. In the game, the baby learns to speak, and the older child learns to describe his pictures in the sand, retell, speak coherently and consistently.

Diagnosis of child problems

Experts note that sand therapy helps diagnose child problems. Well-structured games in the sand will help both the psychologist and parents see the answers to many questions regarding the child’s inner world, and reveal the true causes of anxieties, fears, and conflicts.

Educational games

Sand is also an excellent environment for educational games. For these purposes, classes are held in the sandbox in which children learn to write, read, count, sort, distinguish colors and shapes, and sort through. All this is easily played out in a fairy tale form and is unobtrusive and fun.

Soft psychocorrection

Experienced specialists can use special games to direct a child’s activities in such a way that his behavior will change for the better over time. That is, a soft psychocorrection occurs.
And we can’t help but mention psychotherapy in the sand. With the help of a psychological sandbox, you can resolve various child problems, such as phobias, fears, anxieties, etc. However, most often a specialist should already help with this.

And finally, it is worth recalling that playing in the sand is simply a fun and interesting activity, pleasant communication, joint discoveries and findings. And who, if not the mother, should share the joy of these discoveries with the baby? So, it's time to join the game!

Rules for playing in the sand at home

Can all the functions of sand therapy for children be implemented at home, with the help of one mother? Most likely not, unless the mother is a professional psychologist. After all, then it may be difficult for her to explain and interpret her baby’s sand paintings. But it’s quite possible for anyone to conduct educational, educational games in the sand!

So, a few organizational issues. It is best to use a rectangular wooden box measuring 70x50x8 cm, with a bottom and inner sides painted blue, for playing with sand. In this form, the sandbox is used by psychotherapists, and it is believed that such dimensions are optimal for individual work with clients. But now we are not specialists, but mothers. So, let’s simplify the task a little and take a convenient container for sand.

You can use plastic containers, basins, and trays at home. Plastic boxes with tight-fitting lids are best for storage, accessibility, and cleanliness. This way you can play and then quickly clean up the sandbox without making too much of a mess on the floor.

The next step is preparing the sand. It must be clean and safe! You can buy special sand, for example at a pet store. Or pick it yourself, rinse and bake in the oven. After such treatment, you don’t have to be afraid that the child will accidentally try sand on his teeth (and this will definitely happen, it’s only a matter of time).

Also prepare small toys that imitate real life. So, you can take small dolls, dishes, figurines of animals, trees, houses, cars, pieces of furniture. It is not necessary to have the entire set, as is the case with professional sand therapists. To work at home, you can also use natural materials - cones, acorns, chestnuts, stones. The child will have more reasons to use his imagination, imagining that the stick is a tree, and the stone is a house, etc.

Make sure that it is convenient for your child to approach the sandbox. You can put a chair next to it. While playing, the baby should not think about how best to reach the sand. He now has completely different goals.

Sand therapy for preschool children. Classes

So, everything is ready, the sandbox is there, and it is waiting for its creator. What to play? Special sand therapy programs for children have been developed in kindergartens and development centers. They meet different needs and serve different purposes. But for homework we will take simple exercises in the sandbox.

Playing fairy tales

The first thing you should definitely do in the sandbox is play fairy tales. You can either act out stories familiar to your child or come up with new ones. In this way, we will help the child develop imagination and imaginative thinking. In addition, it is good to ask your child questions about the plot, encourage him to answer independently, continue the tale, come up with new endings and options for the development of events.

Studying the material

The following simple but very useful educational games are about studying the properties of a material, in particular sand. Kids can learn the concepts of “cold - warm”, “smooth - rough”, “dry - wet”, get acquainted with various geometric shapes by making Easter cakes and finger painting in the sand.

You can invite your child to play with colored toys, pebbles, while simultaneously studying colors, sorting objects according to different criteria, and remembering the names of directions of movement: left-right, up-down, etc.

sand rain

It's good to start getting acquainted with sand with games like Sand Rain. The purpose of this exercise is to relax, calm down and slow down. First, invite your child to put his hands in the sand. Let him stroke it, immerse himself in it. Then take a little sand into your hand and sprinkle it on top of your baby’s palm. Ask him if he wants to sprinkle some on your hands? Most likely he will agree. Discuss what kind of “rain” has passed. Children will love this leisurely and enjoyable game.

Guessing game

The next useful exercise is the guessing game. Bury several small toys in the sand and invite your child to find and guess them without removing them from the sand or with their eyes closed. You can also play the opposite game - the baby will hide the toys, and you will look for them and recognize them by touch. This exercise will bring you and your child even closer.

Game "Wind"

Also try offering your baby the fun game “Wind”. To play you will need a small straw. Ask your child to gently blow into it, first dipping the opposite end of the straw into the sand. This game is suitable for older children; it should not be offered to very young children.

Learning letters and making words

It’s great to learn letters and form words with your child. Take a set of letters and lay out a simple word on the sand. Invite your child to read it. Then let the baby close his eyes, while the letters hide in the sand. Invite your child to find them and make up the word again.

We build from sand

You can build in the sand. Anything - houses, towers, cities and villages, mountains, rivers and forests. You can work in dry sand using figures and natural materials - pebbles, sticks, chestnuts, or you can wet the sand and sculpt it with your hands or using molds. The flight of a child’s imagination in this game is not limited by anything.

Why is it so important to let your child create in the sand? The answer is simple. A sandbox is a limited space in which the baby is the ruler, the creator, he is in charge and only he makes the decision. This is very important for developing self-confidence, self-control and self-regulation.

In addition to the topic, I also suggest watching the webinar “Sand therapy at home. We play, fantasize, communicate” with Elena Kaminskaya.

A way to better understand a child

For diagnostic purposes, offer your child the following exercises. Invite your child to build his family on the sand. You will immediately notice how the child sees you and your loved ones at the moment, who is more important and closer to him. Then ask your little one to build the kind of family he would like to see. A lot of discoveries await you! The essence of the problem will immediately become clear, and all you have to do is find ways to solve it.

Using the same principle, you can ask your child to “draw” the situation in kindergarten, on the playground, or for older children at school. This will also help to identify painful moments and, if possible, eliminate them.

I have given you just a few simple sand play ideas. You yourself can come up with a lot of other exercises that are suitable for your child. Try, create, enjoy communication, and you will certainly succeed!

Happiness to you and your children!

Anna Kutyavina,
psychologist, storyteller,
owner of the site Fairy Tale World

I thank Anya for such an interesting and useful article. I am sure that many parents will adopt it, and their children will only support them, because playing with sand is certainly much more interesting than any other activity. Well, we will know how to use sandbox games for development, learning and helping children resolve various situations.

And if possible, look on the Internet for information about light tables for children. An amazing opportunity to get creative with everything! It will be interesting for both children and adults!

And at the end of our conversation, a children's song about sand will be played for you.

Educational games for children 3-4 years old