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Whether it's the beach, or your yard, kids love romping in the sand.

Most babies and toddlers find romping in the sand their favorite outside activity. It's easy to see why - perhaps no other medium invites play and nourishes the imagination as much as sand does.

Making designs in the sand and building castles is a creative process that also enhances learning. By scooping and pouring sand, children learn how to measure and are introduced to a variety of important pre-math skills.

Your child's imagination will lead them to digging, drawing and hiding their toys in the sand. Take off your shoes and join them!

Step by Step:
Your child will marvel at the different textures of dry and wet sand. Which one is easier to handle? You can use colanders, buckets, cups, and baking molds for a variety of shapes and experiences.

1. Show your child how to fill a cup with sand.
   
2. Turn the sand-filled container over.
   
3. Add some water to the sand to make it damp. This will make it easier for your child to pack and turn over the container.
   
4. Help your child scoop sand into various-size cups or molds and then see what the shapes look like.
   
5. Turn a large cup or mold over first, then turn a smaller cup of sand over on top of the large one.
6. Teach your child how to put the various sizes together to make a fort or a castle.
   
7. Together you and your child can build one and two-cup high structures to create a castle or series of buildings.
   
8. You can also teach your child to draw in the wet sand - with his fingers.

Materials:
Sandbox or pit
Kitchen utensils
Watering can
Small shovels
Pail
Cups or molds

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