Sand and Water 1Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency Presented By: Lindsey Smith, Early Childhood Specialist

Objectives Connect sand and water experiences to child development. Discuss open and focused exploration of sand and water. Discuss appropriate learning environments for sand and water play. Understand how to support children’s learning through sand and water play. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency2

The Creative Curriculum ® Fundamental Beliefs Building a trusting relationship with each child Providing responsive, individualized care Creating environments that support and encourage exploration Ensuring children’s safety and health Developing partnerships with families Observing and documenting children’s development in order to plan for each child and the group Recognizing the importance of social/emotional development Appreciating cultural, family, and individual differences Taking advantage of every opportunity to build a foundation for lifelong learning Supporting dual language learners Including children with disabilities in all aspects of the program Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency3

The Foundation: Theory and Research Developmentally Appropriate Practices Theoretical Influences Abraham Maslow T. Berry Brazelton and Stanley Greenspan Erik Erikson Jean Piaget Lev Vygotsky 4 The Creative Curriculum ®

Sand and water are natural materials Open and Focused Exploration of sand and water enhance a child’s development Sand and water experiences are more than just sensory experiences What does sand and water look like to you? Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency5

Observing Sand and Water: Focused Exploration Purpose of Focused Exploration Give children opportunities to investigate specific questions in depth Give children support, materials, and time to deepen exploration Principles of Focused Exploration Exploration has a specific focus (water flow, water change, sink/float) Outdoor experiences used to heighten awareness Books and visiting experts will stimulate interest Two and three-dimensional representation used to support reflection Talking about specific experiences and relating them to science, nature, etc. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency6

Observing Sand and Water: Focused Exploration In small groups: Explore the properties of plain water. What happens when you add drops of food coloring? What happens when liquid soap is added? How did the water change? Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency7

Observing Sand and Water: Open Exploration Purpose of Open Exploration Give children opportunities to wonder, notice, and explore Give children support, materials, and time to explore Principles of Open Exploration: Introduce children to exploring and playing with water Engage-talk about experiences Explore-freedom to choose exploration or not Reflect-ask about experiences Ongoing exploration and reflections Introduce new materials Acknowledge water play…ask probing questions Encourage reluctant water playing by using walkabouts Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency8

Sand and Water: More Than Just A Sensory Experience! Social/emotional Development Creating a structure with others Soothing an agitated child Emotional expression through play Physical Development Fine motor strength Hand-eye coordination Gross motor strength through carrying Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency9

Sand and Water: More Than Just A Sensory Experience! Cognitive Development Scientific exploration (open and focused) Observation, classification, comparison, measurement, capacity, volume Problem-solving Understanding texture, dry » wet/wet » dry Cause and effect Language Development Descriptive words (grainy, wet, shallow, sprinkle, etc.) Literacy skills (writing letters in the sand) Question and answer with caregiver Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency10

Part I Summary Children enjoy playing with sand and water. Children can use both open and focused exploration to learn more about sand and water. Props allow children to experiment more with sand and water, thus promoting each area of their development. Caregivers should interact during sand and water play to promote learning and development. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency11

Sand and water play should be offered both indoors and outdoors. Offering sand indoors provides children with a more controlled environment, while offering it outdoors allows for less structured play. The best way to identify an appropriate sand and water environment is through the eyes of a child. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency12

Setting Up the Sand and Water Area Where Near a water source On washable floor or an area that an be easily covered Materials Sand and water table, Rubbermaid bin Water (room temp. or warm) Sand (finely textured white sand that is sterilized is recommended) Smocks (if necessary) Tools (droppers, rakes, funnels, measuring cups, scoops, sponges, shells, feathers, egg beaters, buckets, etc.) Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency13

Part II Summary Sand and water play should occur within close proximity to one another. The sand and water area should be inviting to young children and materials should be accessible. Rotate materials to maintain the interests of the children. Sand and water play can be messy and the best environment is one that has easy access to supplies to clean up-even child-sized so the children can help with clean up. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency14

Children will go through different stages as they explore sand and water Teachers should respond appropriately to support learning and development Children will approach sand and water experiences by using their senses to become more familiar with the purpose of the materials being used. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency15

Three Developmental Stages of Sand and Water Play Functional Play (Exploratory Stage) Use senses to become familiar Sensory experiences lead to acquired information Constructive Play Acquired information and knowledge are applied Activities are more intentional Dramatic Play Extension to constructive play Experimentation with what works vs. what doesn’t Children use imaginations to incorporate sociodramatic elements Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency16

The Teacher’s Role Use sand and water observations to assess developmental areas While observing, consider: Are props being used for dramatic play or to conduct experiments? Does the child play alone or with others? Is play being offered indoors and outdoors? Does the child select their desired props/materials or are they already out? Support children during sand and water play by asking questions and interacting with individual children and the entire group. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency17

Activity Make predictions about shapes that may or may not float. Use modeling clay to create a shape that you believe will float. Test buoyancy of the shapes you have made in the water tubs. Note what shapes float and what shapes don’t. Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency18

Objectives for Sand and Water Play A rich activity helps children of various developmental stages to work on objectives. Reflection of your observations during sand and water play reveal how to create a rich activity. What investigative experience can you offer to enhance completion of developmental goals and objectives? Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency19

Section III Summary Use observation to guide learning and understanding. Follow-up observations with reflection about the activities offered. Are they engaging children? Do they promote all areas of development? Do they allow for provider-child interaction? Use rich activities to provide the best opportunities for learning at various levels. Support children’s learning through interaction, engaging in play, asking questions, encouraging exploration Cloud County Community College Early Childhood Resource & Referral Agency20