Sensory Sand Treasure Excavation
Hide small, preferred toys or items inside a sandbox or large container filled with dry materials like sand, beans, or rice, and use brushes and scoops to find them.
- Takes
- 30 min–1 hr
- Your setup
- 10 min prep
- Ages
- Ages 2–7
- Mess
- Messy
- Cost
- $
- Where
- Outdoors
How to do it
- 1Bury the 'treasures' completely in the sensory material.
- 2Instruct the child to use the tools to carefully uncover the items without tipping the bin.
- 3If the child is sensitive to the material, start with tools only and gradually encourage touching.
- 4Create a matching mat or checklist showing all the items they need to find.
What they're practising
- Tactile Exploration
- Sustained Attention
- Fine Motor Skills
- Visual Discrimination