Even if you don’t have it in your house, you’ve probably heard of or seen Kinetic Sand. You’ve also probably noticed that kids love it. And if you’ve sat down and played with them, you have to admit that it’s pretty cool. In fact, Spin Master, the company that makes the officially branded Kinetic Sand, declared August 11 Global Kinetic Sand Day in 2020. But Kinetic Sand isn’t just a fun toy to keep kids occupied. It also helps kids practice and improve skills that are important to early childhood education and development.
In this article, we’re taking a look at why kids love Kinetic Sand and why their parents and caregivers do, too!
It’s great for fine motor skills.
When children are very young, parents and caregivers want to give them every opportunity to explore the world around them. This helps them not only to learn about their environment but also to improve their skills. While playing with Kinetic Sand, children are using their fine motor skills and improving their hand-eye coordination. The feel of Kinetic Sand is a big part of the fun, so it encourages kids to work the small muscles in their hands and fingers.
It inspires creativity.
The texture of Kinetic Sand isn’t the only thing that makes it fun. It also has an amazing ability to hold its shape. All you have to do is shape it with your hands or press it into a mold. This opens up endless possibilities for kids to play and get creative. There are kits you can buy with molds and shapes to play with, but you can use anything you have around your house or find outside. There’s no limit to how kids can shape and play with Kinetic Sand.
It increases sensory awareness.
Young children learn a lot through tactile sensory experiences, which is why sensory play is so important to early childhood education and development. To add to the sensory experience of playing with Kinetic Sand, you can make your own at home. Making it yourself lets your kids feel the difference between the sand when you start and after you’ve added other ingredients to it.
Early Childhood Education and Care at Wollaston Child Care Center
At Wollaston Child Care Center, we want to support your child both when they are with us and when they are at home with you. Our flexible programs help children reach their full potential and meet the important milestones of early childhood education and development.