Exploring in the Sand

[30 Minutes]

Your child becomes a young naturalist as you explore a sandy area together. It's a wonderful way to develop an appreciation for the beauty of nature in any season.

You'll need:

• a sandy area near a creek, stream, pond, beach, or river • bucket • shovels • footwear for wading

What to do:

1. Find a place nearby where you could explore a sandy area. Take along a bucket and shovel.
2. As you walk along, encourage your child to notice all the interesting things in the sand.
3. Invite her to dig in the sand and talk about the similarities and differences between what is on the surface and what is buried.
4. Challenge her to collect any interesting rocks, sticks, etc. and to put them in the bucket for further exploration and play at home. Talk about how the rocks may be worn smooth by the action of the water.
5. Look together for signs of animal life, insect life, and plants that might be in the area.
6. Visit this sandy area in different seasons and compare what you see each time. Talk about how things change with the seasons.

Let's Talk: Ideas to Explore Together.

• What were some of your discoveries in the sand? What could you do with the things you brought back?
• What are some of the things you heard as we walked along?
• Did you smell anything special?

Useful information:

While you are having fun together, this activity helps your child develop observational skills, eye/hand coordination, and language skills.