I’m always trying to come up with fun activities for my 2-year son to do while I’m at work. This Mini Construction Site Sandbox is a perfect tabletop activity that can help develop his sensory and motor skills.
If you’ve read some of my other posts, you know that I bring little J to work with me every day. He’s been coming with me since he was 6 weeks old! As he’s gotten older, I’ve had to come up with new and exciting things to stimulate his little mind. Right now he’s into PlayDoh, coloring, painting, cars, and soccer.
Throughout the day I find little bits of time to sit and interact with him, but I also have to get work done, so I try to come up with activities that are fun for him to explore and play on his own. This Mini Construction Site Sandbox is small enough to sit on top of his table, which is behind my desk. It’s also portable with a removable lid so we can take it outside or to and from my office.
Hands-on activities like this Mini Construction Site Sandbox help to stimulate a child’s senses. Sensory play can also help develop language skills, cognitive growth, problems solving skills, and even social interactions among children of equal age.
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A trip to Dollar Tree, Home Depot, $15, and you’ve got yourself a Mini Construction Site Sandbox.
Supplies:
Plastic container with lid
Play Sand
Rocks
4-5 Matchbox Tractors *If Dollar Tree doesn’t have any tractors, check out Target.
1- 1.5” PVC piece- cut 2” long
1-1.5” 90° elbow
*Optional Supplies
Yellow Acrylic Paint
Paint Brush
Black Permanent Marker
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Steps:
- Paint PVC yellow and set aside to dry.
- Fill half of the plastic container with sand.
- Set PVC elbow in a corner and cover middle section with sand.
- Place rocks on both sides of the PVC.
- Draw construction signs on PVC with marker and then place PVC on top of the sand. PVC pieces can be used as tunnels for the Matchbox tractors.
- Place Matchbox tractors in your Mini Construction Site Sandbox and let the playing begin!
What kind of sensory play does your toddler enjoy? Share in the comments below.
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Hi! I’m Meagan and I’m a 41 year old mom of a high energy almost 9 year old, happily navigating my way through the little boy years. I’ve been married for 14 years. I met my husband over 20 years ago in high school; we got married 10 years later after graduating from the University of South Florida. I currently help run a family business with my parents while blogging about my life and love of DIY projects!
When I’m not at a kids sports game, I enjoy spending time with my family on a beach anywhere. I also love decorating and organizing, fun DIY projects, bargain shopping, and eating out or in! I also love Barbecue anything and a good show or movie on Netflix.
I think it’s so lovely that your son gets to come to work with you! Even lovelier is the fact that you find such wonderful and thought-provoking things for him to do with his time. The construction site looks great (I wish I were 2 again!). How are you going to feel when your son goes to pre-school? I bet that’ll be so weird for you that he won’t be around all the time!
This is such a great idea! So simple to make and I”m sure your son will enjoy it immensely!
OMG, I wish I had one of these while growing up! Looks so fun! And easy to clean up!
xoxo,
Berniedette | PetiteAndToned.com
Wow I think this idea is brilliant and so creative. This would be perfect during the summer time. You can sit the bin outside on the grass or by pool. Loves it!
This is a wonderful idea! Sensory play is super important. How awesome to create something perfect for transporting. Love it!