Sand & Water Activities for Infants
Infants enjoy water and sand activities because they offer three different, but equally fun, options. One moment they are watching water squirting and pouring, and the next their attention may turn to digging their hands into the sand. But a third method of fun is revealed when the materials are combined.
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Sand
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Children will have fun just digging their hands into sand, but giving them the right props can enhance their enjoyment and also help them learn a thing or two. A bucket and shovel will teach a child about capacity as the bucket will soon fill and need to be emptied before more can be added. Turning the bucket upside down on the sand will show the child that a new structure can be created in the same shape as the bucket. Replacing the bucket with sand molds will amaze a child as you create an animal out of sand. A sieve is another great prop as the child will watch with wonder as the sand sifts through it. If your child is too young to use the props, then use them yourself as your little one watches.
Water
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There are a range of activities for infants that simply involve water and a few props. For instance, place the infant in a baby's bath if he has not yet advanced to regular baths. Fill a baster up with water from the bath and allow the child to squeeze the baster and squirt the water, or squirt it yourself if the child cannot. This not only teaches the infant that water squirts but she may even learn how you are making it happen. Provide a variety of objects for the child to add to the water; this will teach the child about which objects sink and which ones float. There are many more fun water activities for children, such as giving them a sponge to soak up water and then ringing it out, or filling up a funnel with water and watching it come out in a narrow stream. Your child may not be able to use each prop as intended, but as long as the child is splashing around and having fun, that's all that matters.
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Mixing
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While sand and water can be great separate activities, it is even better to set them up together. This way the child has the option to play with one of them individually or combine the two. This can be done in a sand pit. One method is to fill up a shallow tub with water and provide a large range of props such as scoops, spoons, floating toy boats, corks and beakers. Allow children to play and experiment freely with everything at their disposal. Encourage them to mix the sand and water; they will learn that water will become cloudy when sand is added and that water makes sand wet, cool and changes the texture. Have a change of clothes ready as it could get messy.
Create a Play Environment
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Whatever activity or game you try to set up for infants, they may ignore it and do what they want to do. But that doesn't mean there is nothing you can do to enhance the sand and water experience for a child. Fill a shallow transparent tub with a sand base, smooth rocks, toy fish and seaweed. Submerge this all in water and you have a miniature ocean. The child will be amazed just staring at the pretend sealife. When held securely in your arms, the child can also feel around inside the tub, touching all the different objects.
Safety
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Always supervise infants around any of these sand or water activities. Take care in water activities especially, as an infant can drown in less than an inch of water. Ensure the child does eat any of the sand in the sand activities.
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References
- Photo Credit sand & water image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com
