What playground would be complete without a sandbox? This is one of the favorite places for children to play. The sandbox attracts one-year-old toddlers, preschoolers, and younger students. Yes, and adults on the beach do not deny themselves the pleasure of tinkering with sand: pour it between your fingers, bury your feet, draw lines on it ...
At the end of the 20th century, a new art even appeared - sand painting. By the way, it is recommended for all ages as a relaxing technique to remove negative emotions. Are playing and playing with sand really such useful activities?
What are the benefits of playing with sand?
What happens when our fingers touch the sand? Nerve endings send signals to the brain that stimulate it to work. Toddlers develop sand games fine motor skills of fingers, and in adults, brain function improves, and as a result, memory, consideration, coordination.
Sandbox games are development of creative abilities, imagination. With what enthusiasm the kids invent various stories related to the sand castle! And in order to build this castle, you need to make a lot of effort - here you have the formation of perseverance and accuracy. In addition, psychologists say that contact with sand relieves emotional stress, relaxes, reports the site. This is just what is needed not only for adults, but also for hyperactive kids.
And how many situations arise when children play in the sandbox! These are typical disputes “yours - mine”, the destruction of someone else's castle, a fight over a spatula or molds for Easter cakes. Each case gives your child a small part of the experience of communication in a team, teaches him the rules of behavior.
One of the favorite activities of adults and kids is digging in the sand. Such sand baths are very beneficial for the body. They enhance metabolism circulation and organ functions. Doctors recommend sand baths neuralgic diseases, at diseases of the musculoskeletal system, at muscle pain. So wallowing in the sand is not only pleasant, but also useful!
What to play with the baby in the sandbox?
If the child is between one and three years old...
At this age, it’s enough for a baby to simply mess around in the sandbox: touch the sand, scatter it, pour it into a bucket and pour it back out. The kid will love to break the Easter cakes, so be patient! You can teach a child build simple structures, for example, slap sand with your hands to get a slide or dig holes with a spatula. Also, the child will be interested make handprintsand feet in the sand. Show your child how easily dry sand flows and how it's good to sculpt something out of wet sand, advises the site. So the baby learns about the properties of sand. Try to teach your baby to follow the rules: do not take sand in your mouth, do not rub your eyes with your fingers and be sure to wash your hands after playing.
If the child is over three years old...
There is a huge scope for imagination here: you can build castles, fortresses, houses, towers. At sand building construction you can use twigs, pebbles, planks. For example, build a castle, dig a moat around it, and then fill it with water and make a folding bridge with strings. Can i build a multi-storey garage for toy cars. It is better to decorate the finished structure with shells, small pebbles and leaves. Many children like shop game. With the help of molds, mold various Easter cakes and sell them. As money, you can use pebbles or leaves. The store can easily be turned into a restaurant by serving sand "dishes" on leaf plates.
In summer, young mothers spend a lot of time outdoors, walking with their children. The most popular place for kids is the sandbox. They make figurines, castles out of it, bury toys to find them. These games are popular, and for good reason.
Playing with sand, the child receives a double benefit: emotional pleasure and therapeutic effect. The healing properties of these games were scientifically proven as early as the beginning of the twentieth century.
Carl Gustav Jung began to use sand in psychotherapy. Since the middle of the twentieth century, sand has become an active assistant not only in the treatment that concerns children, but also adults. It began to be used in family therapy, art therapy and child psychoanalysis.
Sand treatment is produced not only in the children's sandbox. You can organize yourself a corner of relaxation at home by organizing a mini-sandbox from a small box. Excellent therapy for big and small on the sea beach! This is the most ideal way, because it is accompanied by warm and healing air. If you are relaxing by the sea, take some sand home with you. It will be more useful than treats or souvenirs.
If your child has childhood fears, then playing with sand will help him with this problem. In addition to emotional relaxation, it relieves nervous overexcitation and prevents anxiety. Sand in small hands develops motor skills and imagination, sensory sensations and even coordination of movements.
There are many children's games with sand. Do not forbid the baby to fiddle in it with his hands and even bury half his torso. If it gets dirty, you can easily wash yourself at home. But how many positive emotions the child will receive! Pay attention to the interest with which your baby plays in the sand: he takes it in his fist, rubs it between his palms and digs tunnels for cars.
Get your child some pastries and toy dishes. Fill a bucket of water and invite your child to play cook, make cakes and cakes. Have your child compare wet and dry sand.
Helps to relax the usual drawing with fingers in the sand. Make a picture with the child of sand, leaves and small stones. Sift the sand so that it is the same for the picture. Draw not only with your fingers, but also with your palm. Teach your child to recognize shapes and sizes.
Play building. Take a shovel and a toy car that carries sand. Upload and upload content.
An older child can invent games for himself. Please note that schoolchildren also like to fiddle with sand, take it in their hands and sculpt figures out of it.
When the weather is bad, the child can play with the sand at home, but do it carefully. Today there is a special kinetic sand for playing at home. It holds its shape well without the need to add water to it and allows you to play with sand more accurately without spilling around.
Having laid the baby to sleep, the mother can feel the magical effect of this material on herself. Take the sand in your hands, and slowly pour it back out. Look at the little grains of sand, think positive thoughts, and your thoughts will be calm.
What kid doesn't love playing in the sand? But this seemingly uncomplicated entertainment of many generations of children has a deep psychological basis that influences self-development. Therefore, sand therapy today is an effective way to help a preschool child grow up as a harmonious and holistic personality.
The essence of sand therapy, its advantages and disadvantages
Sand paintings are a model of a child's world
Sand therapy is a study of the child's behavior, an analysis of his experiences and a way to build relationships with the world through playing with sand. Back in the 1920s and 1930s, the followers of Carl Jung, who first assessed the information content of children's behavior in the sandbox, began to develop a methodology for working with bulk material. In the 50s, child psychotherapist Dora Kalf systematized all scientific research in the field of studying the mental state of the child through his games with sand. According to her findings, the child builds his own model of the world in the sandbox, displaying all his anxieties, fears and experiences. In terms of information content, sand creations can be no less valuable than drawings. In addition, in the sand, the kid himself places the accents on the behavior and actions of the characters, and this helps him find the right decisions in life. In addition, sand
- develops fine motor skills;
- opens up a wide scope for the manifestation of fantasy;
- help regulate the mechanisms of thought.
Sand therapy helps:
- better express your thoughts by explaining sand creations;
- learn to be responsible for their actions and actions;
- rely on one's own strength;
- develop self-esteem;
- overcome the consequences of psychological trauma.
- allergy sufferers;
- suffering from epilepsy;
- experiencing an attention deficit.
Impact of Therapy on Preschoolers
Sand develops fine motor skills of fingers
The project of introducing sand therapy as a compulsory activity in preschool institutions is included in the Education Modernization Program for the next 2 years.
For toddlers, sand is not only a way to have fun with a pleasant natural material. Therapy is of quite practical importance for the mental and physical development of children who will go to school in the near future. Namely, sand training helps:
- master numbers and letters;
- distinguish "right" and "left", day and night;
- navigate the seasons;
- train memory;
- develop visual-figurative thinking.
As a rule, group classes with sand begin at the age of 3 - the age when the baby goes to kindergarten. But individual lessons at home with mom and dad can be started from the moment when the baby stops putting everything in his mouth and begins to show interest in playing in the sand.
Sand play stages
By the pictures in the sand, you can determine the emotional state of the baby
Scientists have identified three stages of a baby's play with sand:
- Chaos. This is the stage when there are no differences between the figures on the playground, that is, it is not clear who they are: animals, people, plants. Such handling of bulk material indicates that the child is anxious, agitated.
- Fight. At this stage, the baby clearly divides the characters into good and bad, and the prevalence of the latter can be quite significant. This is a period of internal struggle in the soul of a child. Psychologists advise not to rush the kid to change the plot of the game, adding goodies. He must come to this on his own.
- Exodus. This is the last, final stage of therapy. It means that the child is balanced, calm and at peace with himself.
Preparing to work with sand
Under the box with sand you need to allocate a cozy place in the room
For classes with bulk material at home, you need to make a special playground. This will require:
- flat wide box about 7 cm high;
- blue paint;
- a watering can and a small bucket for water;
- small various toys (metal, plastic no more than 10 cm high), pebbles, shells.
Check that there are no sharp corners or nicks in the box. The inside of the box must be painted with paint that will evoke calm associations with water or the sky. If you have the opportunity to allocate a table for classes, then it should be smooth, and its height should fit the height of the child so that you can work both sitting and standing. As for the sand, its choice is best left to the baby. But it is recommended to take warm yellow shades. Also, a few dark ones will not hurt - to create contrasting plots.
Exercises
The main task of the exercises is to introduce the child to the sand
There is a set of exercises that allow children to better get used to new unusual material.. As a rule, these manipulations are applied at the stage of acquaintance.
- Ask your child to put their hands on the sand and describe how it feels to the touch.
- Let the kid draw a snake with his fingers, making beautiful wavy lines.
- Transferring sand from the cam to the sandbox also helps to get a better feel for the material.
- Invite the baby to say hello to the sand with each finger. To do this, let him put his hand in the sandbox and close his eyes. And you pour sand on each finger, the baby’s task is to guess which finger the sand is poured on.
Classes
Sand therapy classes can be individual and collective.
The work of children in the sand can be individual and group. If the activities involve the interaction of several people, then there must be an adult who will coordinate the contribution of each participant. For example, you can invite kids to build a fairy-tale country. Each participant chooses a construction object for himself and works on it, without interfering with the others, but correlating his actions with others.
Games
With individual work, you can master several basic games:
- "Guess." Bury some figure in the sand and ask the child to guess who. To do this, let's give suggestive characteristics of the object.
- "Funny stories". Come up with a fun story for the figures in the sand together with the baby, and put some key words in the letters of the alphabet. Then ask the child to turn away, and at this time, scatter the letters on the sand box. The task for the crumbs is to unearth the letters and add the lost words.
- "My dream city". Invite the child to build a city in which he would like to live. Be sure to name all the characters, come up with stories for them.
Video: Development of fine motor skills with sand
Sand therapy allows not only to fully develop the baby, but also to eliminate psychological problems. It is also a great way to spend time with your beloved child, learn about his worries and show that you love, accept him in any mood. Joint creativity in the sand helps to educate the child's character, self-confidence and self-confidence.
Hello, dear guests and members of the Eliseika Club!
Finally, spring has finally come into its own. From the winter there were only patches of dirty gray snow left here and there. Yes, and it gradually disappears from the frequent crest of rain. And the earth yearning for warmth so greedily absorbs the sun's rays that it does not leave even the smallest puddle of memories of winter.
Children poured into the streets in a cheerful crowd. Who is on the swing, who is on bicycles, scooters and skateboards, and our cute kids laid siege to the sandboxes. Armed with buckets, scoops, molds and other sand attributes, little boys and girls scrupulously swarm in the sandbox. Satisfied with the opportunity to sit on a bench and talk to each other, mothers look with tenderness at their enthusiastic crumbs, only occasionally intervening to “resolve” the conflict situation.
And with the onset of summer, we will hasten to the sandy beaches of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. And here you can’t resist playing in the sand and 
parents. Together with children, having disconnected from our adult worries, we build entire castles and cities on the sand. Or we draw fabulous pictures that are so fond of licking playful waves from the sand.
Have you ever wondered why children and adults like playing with sand so much? And is there any benefit for kids from playing with sand, and if so, what?
The natural need for children to play with sand, of course, has its own explanation. This need was studied in due time by the psychoanalyst, the founder of analytical therapy, Carl Jung. They proposed the method of "sand therapy".
Playing with sand was also described by the famous English pediatrician Margaret Lowenfeld, who called her game method “the world method”.
Today, many children's specialists use the game with sand and other bulk materials in their work: pediatricians, psychologists, psychotherapists, teachers, speech therapists, neurologists.
Experts say:
Sand games have a positive effect on the emotional state of a person, they can stabilize his emotional well-being. The properties of sand carry a certain mystery and mystery and are able to fascinate a person. Sand, as it were, “grounds” negative energy. Manipulations with sand, both wet and dry, calm impulsive, overly active children and liberate pinched, constrained and anxious kids.
*** For diagnostic purposes, as well as for correction, many teachers, psychologists and psychotherapists use in their work 
sand therapy. Its essence lies in the fact that, in addition to sand, various figures, sticks, pebbles, cones, etc. are used in the box for children to play. a different problem. He doesn't need words for this.
Having played his story, changing it with his own hands, the child builds what pleases him. Thus, the baby finds a way out of a difficult situation, changes it, and thereby gets rid of the heavy burden of internal experiences. The specialist observes the manipulations of the child and, if necessary, helps him.
Playing with sand is also good for physical health. In medicine, there is even a whole section called psammotherapy - warming up with sand. Children experience real delight when they bury their hands, feet, and especially each other in hot sand. A 
sometimes, adults do not lag behind them in this. In addition to enjoyment, both children and adults benefit greatly from it.
Psammotherapy improves metabolism, helps in the treatment of diathesis, allergies, rickets, diseases of the peripheral nervous system, respiratory organs, joints, chronic nephritis, the consequences of poliomyelitis, and in women in the treatment of gynecological diseases. Warming up with sand improves the activity of the heart, contributes to the normalization of kidney function. Of course, you must first consult with your doctor. Be sure to make sure that the child does not overheat.
It is also useful to walk barefoot on the sand. It is known that massage points are located on the human foot, each of which corresponds to any organ of our body. In addition to organ massage, walking barefoot also helps us in the treatment of flat feet, hyperhidrosis, musculoskeletal system, diseases of the nervous, genitourinary, musculoskeletal, cardiovascular systems and gastrointestinal tract, as well as colds, flu and even heart attack and stroke.
But back to the children.
Playing with sand is very useful for developing fine motor skills, tactile sensations and coordination of movements. All this is directly related to the development of speech, thinking, attention, observation, imagination, memory.
Very useful for speech development: 
- draw with fingers in the sand;
- pour sand from palm to palm, from one cup to another;
- dig holes, immerse hands in the sand;
- look for buried small toys in the sand;
- sculpt fences, houses, pies, etc. from wet sand with your hands, it is very good to decorate buildings with small pebbles, shells, slivers, etc.
- pour sand into the bucket with a spatula. 
Playing with sand has a positive effect on the development of the imagination and creativity of children. On the sand range, you can give free rein to your wild imagination. How many things can be molded from wet sand: figured sandals, houses, garages, palaces, cities, sculptures. The complexity of the sand construction increases with the skill of the young architect.
Playing in the sandbox or on the beach with other children, the child acquires the skill of communication, socializes. Learns to navigate in conflict situations that regularly arise on playgrounds. A skill is developed to negotiate, give in, share, or, on the contrary, defend one's rights.
That's how many useful properties sand has! And the best part is that parents do not need to spend a lot of effort so that their children receive 
so many benefits. Just go outside and walk to the playground. Everything! The session has begun - a session of playing with sand!
And, if you want to restore your peace of mind - feel free to arm yourself with scoops and create with your children. You will see, all your worries will dissipate as quickly as the wind blows dry sand from your palms.
P.S. Have you ever seen the show "Drawings in the Sand"? Watch this video! You'll see, while you're watching, time will cease to exist for you.
And you will learn how to build sand castles, make highways, dig caves and what sand games you can play from the article:.
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Summer is the time for outdoor games, time for experiments with water and sand, months of observing flowers and trees, the life of nature outside the city. Children poured into the streets in a cheerful crowd. Who is on a swing, who is on bicycles, scooters, and our cute kids laid siege to the sandboxes. Armed with buckets, scoops, molds and other sand attributes, little boys and girls scrupulously swarm in the sandbox.
With the onset of summer, we rush to the sandy beaches of rivers, lakes, seas and oceans. And even here parents cannot resist playing in the sand. Together with children, having disconnected from our adult worries, we build entire castles and cities on the sand. Or we draw fabulous pictures that are so fond of licking playful waves from the sand.
Have you ever wondered why children and adults like playing with sand so much? And is there any benefit for kids from playing with sand, and if so, what?
Today, many children's specialists use the game with sand and other bulk materials in their work: pediatricians, psychologists, psychotherapists, teachers, speech therapists, neurologists.
Experts say:
Sand games have a positive effect on the emotional state of a person, they can stabilize his emotional well-being. The properties of sand carry a certain mystery and mystery and are able to fascinate a person. Sand, as it were, “grounds” negative energy. Manipulations with sand, both wet and dry, calm impulsive, overly active children and liberate pinched, constrained and anxious kids.
Playing with sand is very useful for developing fine motor skills, tactile sensations and coordination of movements. All this is directly related to the development of speech, thinking, attention, observation, imagination, memory.
Very useful for speech development:
- draw with fingers in the sand;
- pour sand from palm to palm, from one cup to another;
- dig holes, immerse hands in the sand;
- look for buried small toys in the sand;
- sculpt fences, houses, pies, etc. from wet sand with your hands, it is very good to decorate buildings with small pebbles, shells, slivers, etc.
- pour sand into the bucket with a spatula.
Playing with sand has a positive effect on the development of the imagination and creativity of children. On the sand range, you can give free rein to your wild imagination. How many things can be molded from wet sand: figured sandals, houses, garages, palaces, cities, sculptures. The complexity of the sand construction increases with the skill of the young architect.
Playing in the sandbox or on the beach with other children, the child acquires the skill of communication, socializes. Learns to navigate in conflict situations that regularly arise on playgrounds. A skill is developed to negotiate, give in, share, or, on the contrary, defend one's rights.
That's how many useful properties sand has! And the best part is that parents do not have to spend a lot of effort so that their children get so much benefit. Just go outside and walk to the playground. Everything! The session has begun - a session of playing with sand!
On the topic: methodological developments, presentations and notes
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