Combing the Sand in a Quiet Garden

At the end of sandbox play, kids smooth the sand with their hands and slowly, quietly draw lines, waves, and circles in it with rakes and big plastic forks. It brings back calm with slow movement and leaves the sandbox tidy.

How to play

1. We sit around the sandbox and smooth the sand in front of us with our palms, like ironing (1 min).
2. With a finger we draw one long line very slowly while breathing in, and breathe out when the line ends (1 min).
3. With the rake we make waves: back and forth, to the teacher's breathing rhythm (1 min).
4. With the big fork we draw circles around a large stone or shell the teacher places in the middle (1 min).
5. We look quietly at the sand garden we made together (1 min).
6. We put the rakes and forks in the basket, brush off our hands, and go wash them (1 min).

Rules

• I draw only in my own patch of sand.
• I move the rake very slowly.
• I don't erase a friend's drawing.
• We talk very softly, or not at all.

Variations

Adaptations

• Limited mobility: bring a sand tray to the wheelchair table and draw there.
• Visual impairment: trace the rake's waves with a finger and feel the difference between smooth and combed sand.
• Autism or dislike of sand: use only the rake, without touching the sand by hand.

Learning goals

• Calm down with slow movements.
• Control fine hand movements.
• Take care of and tidy up the play space.

Equipment for a class of 25

• Sand rakes: 12
• Large plastic forks: 12

Teacher tip

The center stone or shell must be big, nothing that fits in a mouth. Always finish with handwashing, and if the sandbox has a cover, have them help put it on: that's how they learn to care for the space.

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