A sand tray is traditionally used in the 3 to 6 age group in Montessori, for tracing numbers and letters to build the foundations of early writing.
We decided to use it a little differently today, to create some toddler art instead.
It’s so easy to prepare and fulfills Havvie’s sensory needs in a big way. I used a square bamboo tray and some non toxic sand to fill it with. You can use simple household items like salt and sugar in a cardboard box to DIY this at home.
Havvie was eager to have a play the moment she saw me bring it out. In presenting the work, I gave a small lesson on how to trace in the sand with my fingers. Then it was her turn.
Havvie loved the silky smooth feel of the sand and had a blast picking up and dropping the sand back on the tray (think salt bae style) and often off the tray as well.
It did get messy just like all toddler art does, but cleaning up by shaking all the sand off was just as fun! This is an activity I’ll definitely be bringing back.