Authors : Hugo Vieira Pereira and João Faria There are not many recreational activities that are both so appreciated and have as many benefits for children as playing in the sand. If we talk about playing on the beach, even better! In addition to sand, the contact with nature, water and sun - at the right time and with the right protection - add more benefits, is fun and is adapted to a larger age group. Although not all children are immediately receptive in the first contact with sand, from the first year of age onwards, when they start to walk, they almost always end up feeling very attracted to any sand and having a lot of fun playing with it. The versatile 'toy' that is sand does not have a specific purpose when it is used, it does not need operating instructions or guidance from parents or other caregivers on what can be done with it, beyond basic care and adequate supervision: The possibilities are endless, at each age you can do what interests you the most, what you feel like at the time or what your imagination dictates; It serves individual playing, but is also ideal for group activities; It Adapts to being used with or without additional equipment, from the most common – buckets, shovel, molds, among others –, to other toys or even shells found on the beach. It is this versatility that makes playing in the sand such a complete activity when it comes to stimulating children development, especially in the first years of life . Physical and sensory development Playing in the sand promotes movement. That is why it develops muscle strength, bone skeleton structure, balance, motor coordination and fine motor skills , with common activities such as: Having to adapt walking and running to changes in the shape and consistency of the ground; Jump into a pit and climb out again; Holding or carrying buckets full of sand, handling a shovel with sand or digging sand with your hands; Make a sand construction and jump on top of it to undo it; Carefully fill a mold to make a perfect cake, smooth out a sand ball as best as possible or decorate a building in detail. In addition to these aspects of physical development, for sensory development , playing with sand contributes to the perception of different textures, color variations or new sounds in contact with sand. Creativity The multiple activities possible with sand allow imagination to be unleashed, creativity and artistic expression to be developed . Digging, building castles, tunnels, paths, cakes, mermaids, cars, and countless other possibilities, undoing them, building again, always getting different things, all this attracts and stimulates creativity. Language and cognitive development The ideal environment to attract other children and play in a group promotes the development of language and vocabulary and makes the results of collaboration and sharing of experiences easily visible, favoring social relationships. Drawing in the sand and, later, practicing writing or counting are other possibilities that contribute to cognitive development and reasoning. Autonomy The safety of playing in the sand means that most children do not need to have an adult always by their side. Supervising the activity while keeping some distance makes children feel independent, more confident, and safe while playing. Of course, care must also be taken when children play in the sand : Teach younger children not to put sand in their mouths and watch them closely until you are sure they don't do it. In most cases, if they put sand in their mouths, they quickly learn that it is not a good experience and will not repeat it. Ensure that the places where children play are clean, especially that there is no garbage, animal waste or unpleasant odors that could mean that there is some contamination. Take advantage of the sunny weather, enjoy the outdoors and nature, take young children to the beach and give them with more than having a good time. Meet the sports medicine center clinical team from Hospital da Luz network. The content published in the Health Guide is intended for the general public and is provided for informational and educational purposes only. It does not replace individual medical assessment, diagnosis, or personalized clinical advice from a qualified healthcare professional. The content is produced or reviewed by physicians and other healthcare professionals at Hospital da Luz and is based on the knowledge available at the time of publication or the most recent update, as indicated at the beginning of each item.
