Teachers and psychologists several decades ago proved the relationship between the level of fine motor skills and speech in a child. There are many toys and activities for developing small fingers. But there is nothing more interesting for kids than simple games in the sandbox. And the benefits of such an activity can hardly be overestimated. But what to do in bad weather? Today there is an alternative - "Space sand" for children. Reviews about this product, its advantages and disadvantages - in this article.
What is Cosmic Sand?
The unusual name “space”, bewitching children, is a brand of the Russian manufacturer of such a product as “kinetic sand for creativity”. In turn, the question arises of what is it? In appearance it is ordinary sand. But it's not that simple! In its properties, it differs significantly from that which is poured into the sandbox.
"Space sand" is an educational game for children of different ages. It is an analogue of foreign manufacturers of kinetic material, has the same properties and composition. But the domestic product costs 20-25% cheaper than foreign products.
What are the reviews for this product? “Space sand”, according to educators and psychologists, helps children master the elementary modeling techniques, while developing fine motor skills in a relaxed playful way.
Structure
What is the difference between ordinary sand and "space"? The secret is that the latter contains a small amount of the synthetic additive E900. It is thanks to this component that the material acquires unusual properties, which we will discuss in more detail below. A large mass (about 98%) of the product is ordinary quartz sand.
Description and properties
At first glance, this is ordinary sand. But the touch is more like plasticine. It does not crumble into grains and rolls in a lump. It keeps its shape well, easily sculpted.
This material does not change its properties after ingestion of water. It also cannot dry out, because it does not contain water. These distinctive properties have the "Cosmic sand classic." Reviews confirm the plasticity of sand, its unusual properties.
The material is plastic and porous. If it is poured, then the grains slow down their fall rate due to the fact that they bind to the remaining particles due to polymer bonds.
Why do children need such a game?
Why do we need such a toy for children, what do the reviews say about this? “Space sand” - a game that promotes the development of fine motor skills, imagination, creativity. Such an opinion is inclined not only by consumers, but also by psychologists and educators.
The following abilities the kids develop in the game:
- fine motor skills (work of the fingers);
- fantasy
- thinking;
- logic
- reveals creativity;
- recommended for children with speech and mental retardation;
- with neurotic conditions (sleep disturbances, hyperactivity);
- with psychological trauma, stress.
In addition, according to reviews, “Cosmic sand” effectively calms the child before bedtime, helps to reduce the manifestation of aggression, anxiety in the baby, and distracts from excessive enthusiasm for electronic gadgets.
Is cosmic sand harmless?
Surely many parents are concerned about the question of how safe "Space Sand" is. Analyzing the composition of the product, we can say with confidence that even with the accidental ingestion of such material by a baby, this incident will not cause much harm to health. Nevertheless, you should not leave the crumbs alone with this toy - intestinal upset may develop. And if it gets into the eyes, ears or nose, damage to the mucous membranes and the development of allergic reactions can occur.
But “Cosmic sand” has a definite advantage - bacteria cannot be in it. Therefore, it is impossible to swallow pathogens along with sand (which often happens in a common sandbox). Do not forget that street sand is not clean: here you can find debris, glass fragments, animal waste products. Comparing the facts, we can conclude that “Space sand” (Russia) is as safe as possible for children’s games. Reviews of parents of babies confirm this fact.
At what age to play?
The manufacturer indicates on the packaging that such a developmental game is designed for children over three years old. Kids younger than this age are not recommended to play with this material. This is due to the fact that, firstly, the crumbs will not be able to appreciate the game, and, secondly, they can taste the sand. One way or another, but in the street sandbox you can often find even one-year-old crumbs. So why not play with clean, unusual sand at home? The main thing is that such classes take place under the supervision of adults.
As for the upper limit of age, it does not exist. Sometimes even adults play with “Cosmic sand”!
Advantages
Given all of the above, one can single out the indisputable advantages of playing with kinetic sand:
- safety - bacteria do not breed in it;
- positively displayed on the versatile development of the child;
- has a long shelf life, easy to store;
- does not change its properties after getting wet;
- not crumble, easy to assemble;
- sand figures turn out to be of high quality;
- does not take up much space in the room.
disadvantages
Does the kinetic sand “Cosmic sand” have flaws? The reviews claim that such exist, namely the following negative factors are noted:
- When opening a new package, an unpleasant smell is felt. It appears due to the fact that the composition contains synthetic additives. After a while, the smell disappears.
- It is noted that large-sized forms do not hold shapes, spread.
- “Cosmic sand” cannot be sieved, for example, in a sieve or a toy mill.
How to play?
Playing with such sand is simple, but always interesting, because each time you can use different forms for sculpting and come up with new themes for the lesson. The material is sold both separately and in sets, which include, for example, sand of different colors or pasochki and shovels for building from sand.
What games can you come up with "Space Sand", except for modeling the Easter cakes and building castles? We offer several ideas:
- draw in the sand with a stick;
- to study geometric shapes, replacing standard pasochki with forms from the game-sorter;
- Compare flat and 3D images
- leave prints of pens or legs; stamps can be used;
- search for the buried treasure buried in the sand.
You can use a variety of forms, for example, caps from plastic bottles, a toy dish, parts of the designer and much more.
Thanks to such unpretentious material as sand, you can teach your child to count, form figures, the concepts of “more or less”, organize story-based role-playing games (for example, “The doll has a birthday”, “Shop” and others).
Literally every day, you can offer your baby a new game with material such as space plastic sand. Reviews say that children can spend hours spending time doing such an interesting occupation in the apartment's conditions as sand modeling with unusual properties.
Storage and shelf life
It does not require special conditions for storage of "Space sand". Reviews about the brand claim that you only need to put the unpacked material in a plastic container and close it with a lid, thus protecting from dust, dirt and excessive humidity. The expiration date specified by the manufacturer is 3 years.
Reviews of consumers and specialists
Psychologists and educators of modern centers for the early development of children have already appreciated the positive impact on young children of classes with "space" sand. Speech, mental development, decrease in hyperactivity, psychological stress in babies are noted.
Consumers also note the positive side of the game with such sand. Parents of babies emphasize the safety of the material, the continued interest of children in sculpting from such material.
But there are also negative reviews: “Cosmic sand” has an unpleasant odor, sticks to your hands, decreases in volume over time.
Cost
Consumers often find the cost of such material to be overpriced. So, a kilogram package of such sand will cost no less than 600 rubles. Colored material costs 15–25% more. And sets with molds, shovels or an inflatable sandbox - at least 2 thousand rubles.
Despite the rather high cost, such a gaming novelty is becoming a popular material for the development of young children, deserves positive reviews. “Cosmic sand” means quality, affordability and benefit.