As I’ve been preparing my boys for school, I’ve discovered that I really like portions of the Montessori method. And I REALLY like the educational products–especially the WOODEN ones!–that are available to make it so. Among these clever educational toys was the sand tray. Which, typically, cost around $30 {or more!} for a simple wooden box with sand in it. Well, psh, no way! So, I embarked on the journey of making a DIY Montessori sand tray.

It was actually a ridiculously easy task. And, for each sand tray, it cost me less than $8! Talk about savings! So, here’s how you can do it, too.

How to Make a Montessori Sand Tray

What You Need

• Darice Unfinished Cigar Box – $3.84 {free shipping for Amazon Prime members}
• 1 pound colored sand – $3.47 {free shipping for Amazon Prime members}
• acrylic craft paint – about 30¢ for amount used, optional {free shipping for Amazon Prime members}
• paintbrush, optional
• newspapers, optional

What You Do

How You Use It

Open up the box and let your child have fun! Here are a few ideas:

• Show them alphabet or number flashcards and have them write the letters and numbers in the sand.
• Have them practice writing their name.
• Have them do shapes or patterns.
• Just let them have fun and draw!

I’ve just been letting my boys use a finger to play in the sand {they like the textural stimulation}, but if you’d like, you could give them an unsharpened pencil or a short dowel rod {or some other blunt stick-like object} to use.