Sand Casting
A fairly complicated activity that must be well organized. Kids
probably won’t anticipate such beautiful results.
Objectives
Children ages 4-5 years will be interested in drawing or
painting designs FM III
ages 3-4 years can use texture to describe an object Cog. I
ages 2-2 ½ years can fill and dump the container of sand
and ages 1 ½ years can name objects
Materials
Sand; water; small shoe box for each child; paper clips; empty
thread spools; stones; spoons; other small objects (shells, twigs, pebbles,
marbles, etc.); plaster of Paris mixed in a bucket with a sufficient amount of
water to make a thick batter.
Procedures
1. Settle children around table covered with newspaper,
preferably outside. Have materials available on a side table. Tell the children
they can make pictures in the sand.
2. Have each child fill his box with moist sand, smooth it out, and tamp it
down flat. Have them poke some design in the sand with their fingers, a stone
or empty thread spool. They can place pebbles, shells, whatever, in or around
the design for adds texture (bumpy, rough). Teacher pours about 1” of plaster
over the entire sand surface of each child’s box. Children can trace initials
or names in the thickening plaster. When the plaster begins to harden, have the
insert a paper clip into the plaster to use as a handle. After the casting has
hardened, gently lift it out of the box and brush away the excess sand with old
toothbrushes.
3. Teacher facilitates by giving directions verbally as well as demonstrating.
Call attention to concepts of texture, bumpy, wet, soft, and hard.
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