Spring is here, allowing you and your child to get outside and spend time in your neighborhood playground.  It can be fun for your child to meet up with friends and neighbors in the park, but it can also be stressful to share this common play space.  Toddlers and preschoolers often need help playing together in the sandbox because it requires turn taking, impulse control and sharing.  These are all skills that are challenging at this stage of development and your child will need some help from you to navigate the sandbox.

Here are some tips to help in the sandbox:

1.  Bring more than one toy so that your child can use one and give another child a turn.
2.  Do not bring your child’s favorite toy as this will be very difficult to share.
3.  Stay close to your child to intervene if there is an issue with taking turns.
4.  Model and teach your child how to ask for a toy.
5.  Stay attuned to your child’s experience.  Is he getting overstimulated, frustrated or overwhelmed by the activity in the sandbox?  This may be a good time to gently scoop him up and say “The sandbox seems very busy and hard to play in today.  Let’s take a break and come back when it’s quieter.”
6.  Visit the sandbox during less busy hours to allow your child the room to explore and play with her own toys and ideas.

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