Animal sand play in three fun ways

Thanks to animal sand play my kids have been going outside more often. Winning!

Set up a sand play space in your under covered area and your kids will be dying to go out there too. It’s been really enjoyable to watch your kids interact with sand. They love running it through their fingers and making animal shapes.

Just make sure you do this activity outside, trust me! I learnt the hard way.

Animal Sand Play

Take your place mats outside and grab some coloured sand. The easiest activities are the most enjoyable to watch. We only used these items:

• Cookie cutters
• A  jug (or container with a lip)
• A paintbrush
• Sand (you can mix it up with some easy-to-make coloured sand)
• A place mat (to help keep the sand in one place and to help put it back into a container when play has finished)

1.   Use sand to colour in

Use sand to draw an outline of an animal, then colour it in. If making an outline is to hard for your little ones, you can draw it and they can colour it in. Have older children? See if they can use spoons to colour in a real colouring in sheet from one of their activity books.

2. Shape cutting sand

Don’t just use cookie cutters for making biscuits, they can be used to make cool little outlines in the sand too. Press, or gently wiggle, your cookie cutters into the sand and you’ll be sure to get some lovely shapes.

3.  Sand Painting

Get out your paintbrush and paint around the sand. You can make all sorts of lovely pictures. Try to create shading using the sand, the less sand the darker it is.  Try sharp lines, flowing lines and even dots.  Who knew sand could be so versatile!?

You’ll love these activities because they take only minutes to prepare. It’s so simple to leave all the items out and watch your children touch and play with the sand and experiment with a range of tools that you’ve prepared.

More sand play activities?

• Make coloured sand in a bottle
• Make moon sand