'Play In The Sand Day' ⛱️ 11 August
Play in the Sand Day – CST Activities
Today’s CST activities celebrate Play in the Sand Day – a light-hearted theme that gives us plenty of opportunities for reminiscence, conversation, music, wordplay and a little friendly competition.
For many of us, sand brings back memories of childhood holidays, seaside day trips, buckets and spades, paddling in the sea and sandwiches eaten on the beach – sometimes with a few unwanted grains of sand thrown in for good measure! Whether your memories are of Blackpool, Brighton, Bournemouth, Cornwall or somewhere further afield, the seaside can be a wonderful prompt for conversation.
We begin with Let’s Talk, sharing memories of beaches, holidays and favourite seaside traditions. We’ll also ponder the important question: why are sandwiches called sandwiches? Is it really because they always seem to contain sand when you eat them on the beach? We’ll discover the real story of the Earl of Sandwich and talk about our own favourite fillings.
There’s plenty to get our brains working too. We’ll explore familiar sayings and expressions about sand, discover what sand actually is and some of its many uses, and tackle the surprisingly difficult question: are there more grains of sand on Earth or stars in the sky?
Our quizzes and memory challenges take us around the world as we complete the names of famous beaches, before testing recognition and naming skills with some famous Sandys and Sandies from music, television and entertainment.
There’s also a hands-on Practical Activity – Making a Sand and Beach Collage Tray. Using sand, shells, pebbles and other seaside-themed materials, participants can create their own miniature beach scene. It’s a simple sensory and creative activity that can encourage conversation and memories while providing plenty of opportunities for individual choice and expression.
Music provides plenty of opportunities for reminiscence and perhaps a singalong. Our CST Songs of the Day include Old Cape Cod, Somewhere Beyond the Sea, Under the Boardwalk and Al Stewart’s Sand in Your Shoes – songs filled with memories of beaches, holidays, sunshine and the sea.
Finally, we move from the light-hearted to something quieter and more reflective with the much-loved poem/prayer “Footprints”, whose image of two sets of footprints becoming one has offered comfort and reflection to generations.
So kick off your shoes, wiggle your toes in the imaginary sand and join us for a seaside-themed session of memories, music, conversation, laughter and brain exercise.
Simon’s CST Activities – Boosting brain power together to benefit quality of life.
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