Scoop that sand. (ELC Sand Scoop)

Member Name: mumsymary

Product:	ELC Sand Scoop
Date:	05/04/08 (195 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: good for tinies or those without good manual dexteritory

Disadvantages: none

E L C sand scoop

The summer months are coming holidays on the horizon. If you have children you know they love sand and water play. .
Remember those hot sunny days on the beach digging with your spade making sand castles, burying dad or mum?

Do you remember playing in the sand pit at school or nursery? Just maybe. Maybe you were lucky and you had a sand pit in the garden. The Early learning centre sand scoop. I am going to tell you about today are one that I have seen in several nursery/play school situations.

The early learning centre sand scoop is designed for children two to eight years old. The older children with manual dexterity problems find it good to use as well as the tinies.

This sand scoop is made from a strong thick plastic. It is available in a variety of colours I have seen and played with a blue one and a red one. I think the colour available varies from time to time.

This sand scoop is a scooping, digging tool. It has a short handle that is ridged to make the grip easier for a little hand. At the top of the handle is a hole so you can hang it on a peg when not in use, put a loop of string through it if you wish The back of the scoop is part is molded onto the handle the quite high sides of the scoop which are rounded the taper down from the back to a low blade (not sharp.) edge. There is a flat area between the high scoops edged to collect the sand onto.

This tool is ideal for a young child as they can scoop sand onto it and keep it on for longer than if you give them a flat spade. This is good as it is so discouraging to children to start to move sand and find by the time they have got to the sand bucket there is no sand left on the spade.

. This sand scoop will help your child's hand eye coordination. Helping them practice using their hands and arms with purpose. Helping develop their reflexes, opps you are tilting the scoop be careful the sand will all fall off. (A bit of science there too sand falling off spade gravity.)
This sand scoop will also help your child develop their creativity. OK so at first it is only digging and moving sand into heaps or piles. Your child's heaps of sand and excavations will slowly develop into castles moats, roadways. Your child's imagination will develop while they are creating many "castles" you have to use your imagination too "that's a lovely tower sweetie" "It's a rocket daddy cant you see".

While you child is playing in the sand with their easy to use sand scoop they are learning a lot. Sand is one of the best first play tools.
Sand is a wonderful tactile experience digging fingers into sand feeling it run through fingers the feel of sand grains on an arm or leg. Your child learning the properties of sand .Predicting what will happen. (Oopps I dug too deep the sides of my well fell in.)

Playing with sand is quite therapeutic too restful.
.Sand can be played with individually or as a group activity learning how to, work with others. It might be an idea to have 2 sand scoops to prevent arguments or only one to promote sharing.( remember sand in eyes hurts wash out with copious quantities of water not putting any pressure on the eye)

A child will play for hours in the sand with a sand scoop and other sand tools. I know my grandchildren spend hours playing in the sand tray I have in the conservatory. We can watch them easily there, keep the mess levels down also let them play independently joining in when asked. This sand scoop is only £2 from http://www.elc.co.uk/SearchProducts.php?words=sand +scoop&submit.x=13&submit.y=9 you can buy it online here or pick it up when next in town as delivery is £4.99 which is ridiculous for a £2 toy.
So do I recommend? Yes, it's a good strong toy, will last several children's play hours.

Thanks for reading do enjoy playing in the sand as well as being FUN and Educational for your child it can be fun and therapeutic for you too.

Summary: A sand scoop from the E L C