Sand Tray Work

According to child development pioneer Piaget (1951), play is the leading source of development in preschool children (Boik & Goodwin, 2000, p. 10). Sand is an extremely powerful tool to use in fantasy play. A safe environment is created in a sand tray where children adolescents and adults can “create a world that provides concrete testimony to inner thoughts and feelings” (Boik and Goodwin, p. 10).

Clients choose miniatures (such as toy figures or cars) and natural objects (such as rocks and sea shells) to build their world. Younger children typically create interactive stories, while older clients may create static scenes. For clients the act of building their sand tray world, scenes, or stories brings about the process of healing, and encourages growth. Sand tray therapy is also used with small groups to encourage appropriate social skills. 

If you ask young children to describe what’s bothering them, or why they are behaving a particular way, they generally cannot answer you. They are probably not being defiant, but instead they do not possess the words or understanding to put into words what the problem is. When children, adolescents, and adults “play” using a sand tray, they can work through unsettling problems that are hard to put into words and find mental, emotional and spiritual peace.