Nursery World - Nursery Equipment: Sand and water

Well-organised sand and water play leaves children absorbed and free to wallow in sensory experiences. Diana Lawton explains how.

Natural materials, in particular sand and water, are satisfying and familiar to children and their experiences of them may include puddles, bath time, holidays at the seaside, ponds, rivers and waterfalls. Sand and water respond to rough and gentle treatment and encourage children to be inquisitive.

There are no set ways to use the materials; children are in control. Both sand and water can be enjoyed when playing alone, give rise to co-operative play and encourage the use of language.

Playing in this way allows children to wallow in the sensory experience of water or dry sand trickling through fingers, the sensation of hands pushed deep into very wet sand. It provides opportunities for schemas such as enveloping and enclosing to be explored.

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