Summer means sandbox time! Finally, digging, shoveling, and digging again! Our little shovel artists were so excited to play outside. Children now have plenty to discover: that warm and soft feeling when the sand slowly trickles through their tiny fingers. Here and there, a stone mixed in the sand to feel and examine. The ticklish sensation when the little ones walk barefoot over the sand. Anyone who wants to dig a hole or draw pictures in the sand needs a certain finesse – there’s no better way to train
fine motor skills! Playing in the sandbox also encourages imaginative and creative play, and all in the fresh air. Digging together with other children also improves social skills. So what are you waiting for? Grab your shovels, ready, dig! We have some fun game ideas ready for you.
Track Seekers in the Sand
Children develop their mathematical understanding early on when they explore different shapes. We have a playful version for the sandbox: simply smooth the sand into a flat surface and then press various objects into it. The little ones must first close their eyes and then happily guess. Whether keys, sandbox molds, a pencil, or a coin – any everyday object can be used. Our tip: moisten the sand a little to make the shapes even clearer! When the little track seekers compete against each other, it adds an extra incentive.
Treasure Hunters, Attention!
Even the very young ones look for sticks or stones in the sandbox. Their motor skills don’t have to be fully developed yet. Our game tip: wrap stones in gold paper and hide them in the sandbox. This turns children into little gold miners. Several children can easily bury objects for each other. A homemade treasure map, an eye patch, and a pirate hat make the treasure hunt a very special experience.
Roll, Little Marble, Roll!
It’s easy to build a small marble run in the sand. This game is a lot of fun alone or with several children. First, pile up as high a mound as possible. Then moisten and firmly pat it down. Now just draw a spiral track around the mound. The best way is with your fingers, pressing down with two fingers while circling the mound. Pat it down again briefly and voilà, the marble run is ready. Now some tinkering is needed to make sure the marble rolls down the mound without leaving the track. Quite tricky!
Classic Game: Creative Sandcastles
Fun guaranteed: building a sandcastle! First, pile up a small mound and moisten it well. Now you can start as you like, for example, with a small moat. Use your fingers to draw a trench around the sandcastle. Line it with some cling film and fill it with water. Decorating the sandcastle you built yourself is especially rewarding. You can collect all kinds of natural materials: colorful glass stones, leaves, or shells from your last vacation – creativity knows no bounds. With a small stick or your fingers, you can also draw beautiful ornamental patterns.
Who Will Be the First Sand Mummy?
Ready, set, go: whose legs get buried in the sand first? This game works best with several children. Two form a sand mummy team. One child sits on a smoothed sand surface with legs stretched out. On command, the other shovels as fast as possible until the partner’s legs and feet are completely covered with sand. The fastest team wins. When children bury their hands or feet in the sand, it has a special effect on their self-awareness. Can they still move their feet and hands when they are completely buried? And can they still feel their legs when they are covered? Children are fascinated by this strange feeling of suddenly sensing body parts differently. By the way: feel free to let yourself be buried once in a while. Children especially enjoy that.
Safety Comes First When Playing in the Sandbox!
Children can easily play in the sandbox for hours. Especially in summer during intense heat, this can be dangerous. That’s why the howa sandbox has a retractable, impregnated sunshade (as of 2017). The high-quality woodwork ensures that it is both very stable and break-resistant and contains no harmful plasticizers. When the little ones are done playing, the sunshade can be easily lowered. This protects the sandbox from contamination such as twigs, animal droppings, pollen, and seeds.
