1. HIGH QUALITY
SAND & WATER
ACTIVITY CENTERS
FOR PRESCHOOL
CHILDREN
CHD 120
Environments Project
Abigail Van Orden
2. HIGH
QUALITY
PROGRAMS
Provide free access to activity centers for
a substantial portion of the day to
improve the chances for successful
school experiences.
Standards outline:
• the materials that must be
included
• how diversity is represented
• the skills and abilities that will be
developed
• the teacher’s role
• the developmental milestones that
are supported
(Whitener, n. d.)
3. MATERIALS
Sand or water activity centers can be located outside and inside
and should be accessible for one hour everyday in an eight-hour
program or two hours and forty minutes in high quality programs
(Whitener, n.d.). These are not required for children younger than
18 months old (Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2003).
Sand centers can consist of permanent structures such as sand
boxes, sand pits, sand tables, or portable, smaller and more
individualized containers such as dishpans, and buckets.
Water centers can include the use of hoses, sprinklers, or water
troughs outside, sinks or water troughs inside, or portable smaller
and individualized dishpans, plastic bins, or buckets.
* Structures must be designated as belonging inside or outside. Transported structures will not
count as having both inside and outside activity centers. Playing in existing puddles does not
count. (Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2003 and 2005).
4. PRESCHOOL
Anything easily poured
• sand
• rice
• bird seed
• corn meal
• Non-splintered woodchips
INFANTS AND TODDLERS
Anything easily poured
• sand
• potting soil
• fine mulch
Safety tip: Avoid dried beans,
small pebbles, styrofoam chips,
corn meal flour or anything that
looks or smells like food.
SAND CENTER MATERIALS
* The quantity must allow for digging, filling containers, and pouring. (Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2003 and 2005)
5. PRESCHOOL
At least two or more toys
For Example:
funnels, waterwheels,
measuring cups, sifters,
scoops, droppers, and
tubes
Include toys for dramatic play.
(Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2003)
INFANTS AND TODDLERS
Ten toys per group of five children
plus one for each additional child.
For example:
kitchen utensils, shovel,
bucket, small cars, trucks,
sponges, bubbles, dolls,
washcloths, food coloring
(Harms, Clifford & Cryer, 2005)
SAND OR WATER TOOLS
* Use a variety of textures, colors, shapes, sizes, and skill levels and provide duplicates of popular items.
8. INCORPORATIN
G DIVERSITY
Diversity can be incorporated into
sand or water play through the use of
different colors.
Cultural diversity can be incorporated
when those different colors reflect the
flags of different countries.
The use of toys such as dolls or
figurines in different races or
ethnicities can also incorporate
cultural diversity in sand and water
play.
(Intervention Technical Assistance, 1995)
9. PRESCHOOL
• Reducing Stress: running through fingers or
squeezing through tools
• Experimentation:
• chemistry: mixing (making mud,
adding colors, bubbles)
• physics: action of water (sinking,
floating, rippling, squirting)
• Math: comparing, measurements
• Social skills: sharing, cooperating, language
(Whitener, n.d, slides 14 and 15 and Cryer, Harms & Riley, 2003)
INFANTS AND TODDLERS
• Cognitive development
• Stress reducing and relaxing
• Eye-hand coordination
• Small muscle exercise
• Self-restraint (not putting in mouth,
throwing)
(Cryer, Harms, & Riley, 2004, pg.271)
SKILLS AND ABILITY
DEVELOPMENT
10. TEACHER’S ROLE (INTERVENTION
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE, 1995)
The quantity and variety of materials must be made available to children and changed regularly.Availability
Stored materials must be placed in centers within reach of children.
*see Disabilities
Access
Participate in play and ask questions such as, “what would happen if you…?”
Participate &
Communicate
Don’t let children eat or drink sand or water.
• Don’t let children throw sand or water.
• Clean tables, materials and cover sand box daily.
Clean water spills …
Safety
For physically disabled children, either raise the table to accommodate wheelchairs, lower the table to allow
access, or provide individual basin or dishpans.
For children with food allergies, ensure that any restrictions, such as wheat, are not available.Disability
11. DEVELOPMENTAL
MILESTONES SUPPORTED(VIRGINIA DEPARTMENT OF SOCIAL SERVICES, N.D.)
Domain Strand Sub strand Standard Teacher Support
Cognition and General
Knowledge
Page 21
1 Learning about
mathematical concepts
B Measurement 7 Describe physical objects
in terms of relative size.
Ask questions about
differences in quantities
pointing out differences
not similarities
Cognition and General
Knowledge
Page 28
2 Learning about the
World
A Scientific Knowledge 10 Describe observable
properties of objects (color
size shape texture)
Exploring properties of the
earth
Approaches to Learning
Page 9
2 Curiosity and Initiative B 7 Find and use materials
to follow through on and
idea
Increasing the choices
available to the child
Approaches to Learning
Page 10
3 Creativity and
Inventiveness
C 6 Approach tasks
experimentally or as it
evolves
Provides safe materials
time and freedom for
creative expression
12. REFERENCES
Cryer, D, Harms, T, and Riley, C. (2003). All about the ECERS-R. New York, NY: Teacher’s
College Press.
Cryer, D, Harms, T, and Riley, C. (2004). All about the ITERS-R. New York, NY: Teacher’s
College Press.
Harms, T, Clifford, R, and Cryer, D. (2003). Infant toddler environmental rating scale.
New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.
Harms, T, Clifford, R, and Cryer, D. (2005). Early childhood environmental rating scale.
New York, NY: Teacher’s College Press.
Intervention Technical Assistance.(1995). Adapting activities & materials for young children with disabilities.
Retrieved from https://tats.ucf.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/9/2018/05/
adaptingactivitiesand_materialsec-1.pdf
Virginia Department of Social Services. Milestones of Child Development. Retrieved from
http://va.gapitc.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/Milestones_Revised2014.pdf
Whitener, C. (n.d.). Activities. [PowerPoint slides].
