The story behind it
By TurkeyMom · May 2013
Ages3–6 yrs
Prep10 min
Activity30 min
Leveleasy
MessHigh
Works for1:1 · Small group · Class
Fill a bin with colored (or plain) sand, add fresh flower petals, aquarium gravel, a muffin tin and scoops, and let kids scoop, pour and make pretend sand cupcakes. It's a quick, open-ended nature sensory play idea for a warm day.
⚠️ Safety first
- Aquarium gravel is a choking hazard. Leave it out for children who still mouth objects, and supervise closely.
- Pretend cupcakes only: sand, gravel, petals and grass are not for eating.
- Use petals only from flowers you know are non-toxic and haven't been sprayed with pesticides. Check that grass clippings come from untreated lawns.
- Keep sand away from eyes (no throwing), and wash hands after play.
- Supervise sensory play at all times.
Before the kids arrive
- If you want colored sand, make it ahead using the author's 'colored sand - 3 ways' post (Make Your Own Colored Sand).
- Collect fresh flower petals; fallen petals work well.
Steps
Fill a large bin with colored sand or regular sand.
Scatter fresh flower petals over the sand.
Set out a muffin tin and scoops.
Scoop and pour sand into the muffin cups to make sand cupcakes.
Add aquarium gravel on top as colorful 'sprinkles'.
Decorate a cupcake with petals and serve it to a grown-up (pretend only!).
Let play take its own course. Add grass clippings or other nature finds to make a colorful concoction.
Keep scooping, mixing and creating with sand, flowers and grass.
Tips
- You don't have to use colored sand. Regular sand is just as fun to mix up with other elements.from the author
- Flowers were such a fun and fragrant addition. We tried to pick up as many fallen petals as possible.from the author
- It was my 4 year old's idea to add 'sprinkles' to her sand cupcakes, so we added aquarium gravel as colorful toppings.from the author
- This is a good example of how play takes its own course with kids. Ours added grass clippings on their own.from the author
- For an anytime quick play idea, my go-to is a simple sensory activity that's easy to throw together. In this case all I needed was sand and flowers!from the author
Make it your own
- Use regular sand instead of colored sand.
- Use scented colored sand from the 'colored sand - 3 ways' post.
- Add grass clippings and other garden finds for a nature concoction.
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