In the world there is nothing simpler and more accessible than a sand game. It was played many thousands of years ago, without thinking about the benefits of such an activity. A picture of sand reflects the emotional state experienced by a person at a certain moment, his inner world.
The opinion that this game is a child’s fun is not entirely true. Not only kids, but also adults are often not averse to playing it, whether on the beach or in a specially equipped place.
Sand therapy is one of the areas of art therapy. Its essence is the effect of self-healing in the process of manipulating this material. A picture of sand as if projects the state of mind of a person, because he builds it spontaneously, without thinking. The author of this method of therapy, Dora Kalfff, said that everything unconscious is reflected in the sand. During the lesson, a story, a story are compiled, characters are placed, castles and obstacles are built. In the course of correctional work, obstacles gradually disappear from the picture, helpers appear, this world seems to “calm down”, and the patient, whether it be a child or an adult, finds a solution to his problem.
Such therapy in working with preschoolers helps to reduce the level of aggressiveness and anxiety, because this material is calming. Plunging his hands into it, passing between the fingers, the child feels his coolness, feels the warmth of his own hands. A preschooler who still does not know how to draw well, playing in the sand, can talk about his feelings and feelings. It is no coincidence that if you observe how the kids behave in the sandbox, you will notice that someone is working peacefully on the "Easter cake", with enthusiasm is building slides and castles. And someone destroys everything in its path, spills sand everywhere and destroys buildings. So the children try to interact, not yet able to speak.
A sand painting helps to build communication skills, learn to negotiate and concede. In the process of joint construction, children learn to interact with each other, to cooperate. Having learned all this in the sandbox, they then transfer the acquired knowledge and skills into real life.
The possibilities of this type of therapy are great. Sand painting for children has a psychotherapeutic effect, allows you to deeply work out the situation. In the course of corrective work, the child’s attitude towards himself, to situations of the past, future and present is gradually changing. Elements of these classes can be used by other narrow specialists: speech therapists and defectologists.
There are several limitations to this type of correction: it should not be used when working with children with ADHD, if the child has allergic reactions to dust and small particles, pulmonary diseases, as well as in case of skin diseases and cuts.
In other cases, a picture of sand helps in solving a number of problems inherent in a preschooler. In times of crisis, the emotional background stabilizes, mood improves, anxiety decreases. A sandbox is a good helper when adapting a child to new conditions: kindergarten, school, moving.