Sand & Water Cart

Product Description

Sensory 4

Skills

• Children can pour water into windmill and put their hands underneath to engage in sensory exploration.
• Children can mix sand and water to explore the different textures and properties of each.
• Children can splash water to create loud noises for children with hearing impairments.

Play Ideas

• Children can mix sand and water to build tactile discrimination.
• Bury objects such as seashells in the sand and have children dig to find them.
• Instead of using water and sand, put in different materials such as strips of paper, cotton balls, dried beans and rice, small rocks, seashells, or dirt. 

Adaptation Ideas

• If a child has a sensory impairment and does not like to touch water then the child can use a straw to blow air on the boat to make it move across the water.
• For children with tactile discrimination difficulties, only put one type of substance in the table, such as only water.
• Instead of using water and sand, put in different materials such as strips of paper, cotton balls, dried beans and rice, small rocks, seashells, or dirt. 

Physical 3

Skills

• Children can cruise around the edges of table to improve hand and foot placement, balance, and weight shifting.
• Upper body strength and stability can be improved while shifting weight from side to side
• Children can increase their range of motion in the arms and reaching abilities by maneuvering boats in the table. 

Play Ideas

• Children can race the boats across the table to improve arm extension and reaching.
• Children gain shape recognition by drawing shapes in the sand with their fingers.  This can also work on finger isolation and writing skills.
• For children with limited physical ability, place a boat on the water and have the child use a straw to blow air and move the boat.

Adaptation Ideas

• Older or taller children can kneel to play.
• Take off the umbrella to allow a wheelchair to fit around the table. 

Social/Emotional 4

Skills

• Children learn how to formulate questions and ask for play items across the table. The large, rectangular shape and length encourages verbal communication skills.
• Sand and water tables and the use of accessories help build imaginations.
• Children can play independently or with others. 

Play Ideas

• Have children take turns building a structure using sand materials and then have the other children guess what the structure is.
• Instead of using water and sand, put in different materials such as strips of paper, cotton balls, dried beans and rice, small rocks, seashells, or dirt.