Today I am excited to feature a guest post from fellow play blogger, Kate of The Craft Train. Kate is a Mum of two, graphic designer and craft guru, and her blog is packed with arty and crafty goodness so be sure to pop over and check it out after you have had a peek at this fabulous sensory activity – a sand box diamond mine!
If you ask my 5 year old what she wants to be when she grows up she will probably answer one of two things: A unicorn with pink wings and a golden horn, or the owner of a diamond mine. I don’t think she’s particularly concerned with being rich and powerful, it’s more that she’s 5 years old and has a fascination with all things sparkly. When she was at school one day this week I decided to make her a “diamond mine” as a surprise so that she could dig for diamonds at home – and boy was it a hit!
To make a diamond mine all you really need is a tub of sand and a packet of acrylic gems (ours were $2.50 from the local discount store). If you would like it to be a bit more fancy like the one in the picture above you can also add some acrylic gems in a second colour, pebbles, a twig “diamond mine” sign and some hand made paper cup buckets.
To make our buckets I wrapped twine around a pipe cleaner and attached it to the cup for a handle, and then added some more twine with the child’s initial tied to the front.
I layered the pebbles, acrylic gems and sand in a plastic tub. I sprinkled a few more rocks and gems on top to make it look a bit more interesting, and stuck the little sign in the corner.
Ordinarily this would be an outdoor activity but we had some wet weather so I put a drop sheet down on the lounge room floor and let the girls do their diamond dig inside. All of the spilled sand was easily tipped back into the tub from the sheet once the play was finished.
They both adored this activity and had great fun finding all of the “diamonds”.
Ah, if only they were real!
What does your child want to be when they grow up?
You can follow Kate and The Craft Train at www.thecrafttrain.com or via Pinterest, Facebook or Twitter.
Christie Burnett is an early childhood teacher, presenter, writer and the editor of Childhood 101. More importantly, she is a Mum who believes wholeheartedly in the value of children learning through play, the importance of quality early education, and the togetherness of family.
