With the possible exception of ice cream we can’t think of anything that means summer more than sand and water… after all… it’s what you get at the beach!
This year is our 20th birthday, here at Playforce, and as a special present to all those settings that have supported us, we’re running a special sale - with 20 products, each with 20% off, over the first 20 days of August. And because it’s summer we wanted to make sure the products included presented lots of opportunities for sand and water play.
Here are our suggestions for encouraging sand and water play, using some of the products featured in our 20-20-20 August special offer.
Sand and water play - what’s not to love? It’s perfect for every age, encompassing every single element of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. However they’re playing, your children will be learning and exploring - development fine motor skills, hand/eye coordination, problem solving and sensory perception, as well as language, personal, social and emotional development. Sand and water play can be wonderful at helping children to learn ways to work independently as well as in groups.
Sand and water play for creativity
One of the things we love the most is how perfect sand and water play is for encouraging creativity and imagination.
Our freestanding Creativity Table features a chalkboard surface, which is great for drawing… but it goes further than that! The raised edges at the side also mean that the table can be used for sand, clay and other messy materials. Buckets, spades, rakes, cups, jugs and other tools can be stored stored underneath the table, and a handy ledge gives space to rest tools when not being used. And don’t worry, if you have lots of very little children we’ve produced a Low Level Creativity Table that’s the perfect height without sacrificing the functionality!
Sand and water play for physical development
Pouring, stirring, digging, filling, patting, pushing, balancing, carrying... they’re all things children can learn to do, through sand and water play.
Ideal for small groups of children to experience the properties of water, our Water Table includes a large, durable plastic basin in a high quality timber frame. Scallops around the edges provide an opportunity to add water chutes to extend your water play a little further. But what makes it really perfect for physical development is that it presents all sorts of opportunities for children to reach, scoop, fill, push and even carry water.
Sand and water play for discovery
Sand and water play is great for starting children on the journey that will turn into STEM learning. Whether you’re encouraging them to develop spatial awareness through carrying things from A to B, experimenting with flow, turning and pouring to develop hand/eye coordination, or exploring why things sink and float, outdoor play with sand and water is a fantastic place for even the smallest children to start.
Although our Water Table is also good for discovery we think that our Rectangular Discovery Pit with Staging, Square Discovery Pit with Staging and Hexagonal Discovery Pit with Staging are perfect for offering a wide range of opportunities. Children can pull back the covers to explore the properties of sand, pebbles and other loose materials. You can bury things under the surface and ask them to dig to find them. You can even include them in story time, to help children take an active part. Best of all they all offer staging that means not only are they great for discovery sand play… but they double as performance and storytelling spaces too!
Follow us on Twitter or Facebook to find out more about our August 20-20-20 special sale, or contact us today.