Play Sånd from Brookstone
Part of childhood these days is engaging in sensory activities or experiences using sand, water, rice, play-doh, paint, and shaving cream. Most preschool and Kindergarten classrooms have sensory bins or tables that on any given day of the year could have any of the above textures overfilling them. These days with Pinterest recipes, the sky is the limit in terms of what types of cool combinations you might find.
As an adult when talking on the phone or sitting in a meeting do you find yourself fidgeting with a stress ball, repeatedly clicking the top of a pen or twirling your hair? Fidgeting and the feel of different sensory textures can actually help people pay attention and focus for longer periods of time, and for children aside from this, it can also help them build strength and fine motor dexterity in the process.
Sånd from Brookstone is a unique material. It’s 98% sand and 2% polymer. It has the soft feel of sand, but it’s pliable allowing it to be squeezed and molded without the need for water. The best way I can describe it is that it sort of oozes but it’s not sticky or gooey. It’s non-toxic, never dries out, is recommended for kids ages 5 and up, and arrives in a twist-off plastic container which is great for storage.
Gavin immediately began making shapes and items with it using his play-doh tools, while the older kids at work loved hiding and finding small pegs and toy treasures inside of it.
I will say it does cause some mess when children are playing with it, mostly because kids can be silly, impulsive and spontaneous. When it’s not molded, it falls apart quickly, so I often found it up on the chair or on the floor. It is fairly easy to pick up because it sticks back together, but I wouldn’t say it’s completely mess-free. Also, make sure that your hands are completely dry and not sweaty when manipulating it, otherwise, it will stick to your hands but easily washes off.
Head over to the Brookstone website, and watch a cool video of Sand in action.
What types of sensory or tactile mediums do your kids like? Are they different? As an adult do you have a favorite fidget toy or stress reliever that allows you to use your hands like Sånd?
Brookstone provided a free sample of Sånd to facilitate this review. Any opinions are my own.
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