Why You Need to Use THIS Sand in Your Sand Tray

I have had TONS of different types of sandtrays and sand materials in my trays - from my own beach hauls, pricy “beach sand” from Target that was sold by the pound, corn, rice, and nearly everything in between. 

**Disclaimer** some cultures and populations believe using food for play can be seen as inappropriate and wasteful.  On the other hand, some neurodivergent clients aren’t able to handle the texture of sand and prefer a substitute like dried beans, oatmeal, or non-food/non-sand substitutes such as shredded paper.  For clients that are prone to putting things in their mouth or attempting to eat the sand a food alternative may be necessary. 

Check out more about neurodivergence in the sandtray from Dr. Robert Jason Grant HERE! 

SO... with that disclaimer, please use your clinical judgement and what is right for your population when it comes to your tray! 

BUT if you are using sand, I wanted to share with you my absolutely favorite sand for my tray and why I love it!

Are you ready?  It’s Jurassic Sand! At the moment I am rocking Mojave Beige in my tray.

And although Jurassic Sand isn’t the only brand I wanted to give you my top 4 reasons why I keep Jurassic Sand in my tray! 

The color is beautiful! 

There are a ton of shades and variations of colors that look true to sand.  Depending on your geographic area you can choose sand shades that are more representative of the earth and sand where you live! 

It’s dust free

I have had other major sand brands in my tray that were so fine and created a significant amount of dust.  So that meant every time a child made a big shift in the sand, put it in their hands to sift, or used a funnel, big clouds of sand dust would come into the playroom (and into our lungs).  Eekk! It’s also asthma and allergy friendly so we don’t have to worry about certain clients having a reaction or being excluded from sandtray work! 

It’s safe 

Not only is it dust free it’s also chemical and dye free!  These are huge bonuses when our little clients often miiiiight end up getting a sand bit or two in their mouth. 

Consistent texture 

One of the most soothing things about putting your hands in the sand is the texture. When I have got play sand from big box home improvement stores (okay yes - it’s Home Depot) these might be amazing for an outdoor sandbox but sometimes depending on the type you might have a mixture of larger and smaller grains of sand.

So there is the roundup of why I love my absolute favorite sand and why it has staying power for all of the sandtrays in my office! 

And maybe your thinking... but why does the sand in my tray actually matter?  Sand is sand right?  Check out more HERE on why the actual sand you put in your tray is essential for healing in sandtray! 

AND if you’re looking to add sandtray to your therapy practice and don’t know where to start - grab my absolutely FREE checklist and guide to starting sandtray today → Grab yours HERE! 

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