As the weather warms up, more and more people are heading to the beach to enjoy the warm sun and have some family fun. Have you ever wondered why people feel so drawn to the beach? Research has revealed that beaches are incredibly alluring to us humans because they makes us feel good. In addition to sparking amazement at the beautiful view, the beach is a treat for the senses that can have a calming, meditative effect on us. Another reason why we love the beach so much relates to how it provides something for everyone. It doesn’t matter if you are a person who prefers to lay back and relax, or if you love frolicking in the salty water – the beach has a positive vibe that everyone can enjoy.
It’s no secret that one of the most fun things you can do on the beach with children is to build sandcastles. We often see children on the beach working with great determination to fill a bucket with sand, pat down the top and flip the bucket over – hoping that when they lift the bucket the sand doesn’t crumble. Whilst this is an activity that is certainly engaging for children, limiting your sand play to a bucket and spade means that a whole range of possibilities are being missed.
Revolutionising sand play, the Sand Pal provides a range of tools that that take sandcastle building to a whole new level. A range of expertly designed moulds allow children to design and create elaborate masterpieces by crafting bricks to stack and a range of other shapes that mean that the only limit becomes the child’s imagination.
Whilst there are so many benefits to building with the Sand Pal, here are three compelling reasons why this set of tools should have a permanent place in your child’s beach bag.
One of the best things about sand play is that it presents an opportunity for open-ended play. When there is no ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ way to play with materials, it presents the child with possibilities and allows them to engage in complex thinking and problem solving. Spending time with a Sand Pal will stretch your child’s cognitive skills and allow them to be designers, innovators, builders, and artists. Using tools that are effective will allow the child to turn their ideas into detailed structures that will amaze and delight. The Sand Pal is not only fun – it supports children to become masters of their own learning and opens a whole world of opportunities for investigating, creating, and thinking.
In our current times, it is more important than ever that children develop attitudes and dispositions that set them up for effective life-long learning. Experts tell us that we need our children to be developing their independence, curiosity, concentration, resilience, perseverance, and imagination. We also need to be encouraging children to develop the skills needed for being communicative and cooperative with others. Fortunately, using the Sand Pal actively supports the development of all these dispositions and skills so it really is a tool to foster your child’s development holistically.
Spending time in the great outdoors is beneficial for everyone – but it is especially good for children. When in nature, children tend to engage in more complex thinking and become increasingly communicative. In fact, being in nature will benefit almost every aspect of your child’s development, including cognitive, social, emotional and physical. And whilst it is easy to focus on the huge learning benefits of being outside and in nature, let’s not forget that being in nature does wonders for mental health and helps teach children to care for and respect our natural world.
So, if you are planning to head to the beach for some sun, sand and fun – don’t forget to pack your Sand Pal. Whilst this simple set of tools will do wonders for your child’s learning and development – it is also so much fun that adults will love it too. Click here to order a Sand Pal today!
