'Found objects' to grow your sand tray collection

In a recent blog post, I mentioned no-cost and low-cost items for the sand tray and sand tray therapy. (In case you missed the article, read it here.)

Today we'll take a look more cool stuff: found objects that are definitely free. You can give yourself a pat on the back for recycling and re-purposing for your sand tray shelves.

I took a walk around my neighborhood the other day with a plastic bag and found some interesting objects to integrate into my sand tray collection:

• Pine cones of various sizes.
• Twigs of various sizes and shapes. One stayed as a "tree" and the others I broke into smaller pieces.
• An empty cigarette box.
• A glass labeled microscope slide of a mosquito head. (Yes!)
• A plastic Star Wars ring.
• A plastic frond with plastic "berries," a leftover Christmas decoration, which I will cut into smaller pieces and use as small trees or bushes.
• A plastic Puss In Boots toy.

It helps to carry a plastic sandwich bag to hold your finds before you wash or clean them. Be sure to clean with a bit of dish soap and water, as appropriate, or wipe lightly with a bleach wipe. If you have any doubts about the sanitary quality of an item, don't pick it up.

P.S. If you're the child who lost the Puss In Boots toy, contact me and I'll be happy to return it to you.

An affordable way to find items for your sand tray

 

Are you a sand tray psychotherapist?

Sand tray items can get a little pricy, and rummage sales, yard sales and thrift shops are a good way to find items for your sand tray shelves. I recently found this conglomeration of items at the local Zen center's annual fundraising rummage sale, with the total receipt at just over $5.

Here are lots of other places that I've found items for sand tray for low cost or no cost:

• Stones, seashells and softly worn glass picked from the beach.
• Fortune cookie fortunes.
• Pine cones of various sizes -- watch while walking your neighborhood or at the local park.
• Junk drawer (variety of marbles, small items, lost Legos, old keys, mismatched playing cards and the like). 
• Kitchen drawer (small baskets, small scoops, plastic containers, bottle caps, plastic spoons, Popsicle sticks).
• Jewelry drawer (look for odd earrings, old pendants, etc., such as hearts, stars and other symbolic items). 
• Sewing kit (old thimbles and darning eggs, buttons).
• Holiday ornaments and decor that you no longer use (use all or part of item). These might include faux evergreens (take apart to 2-inch lengths to use as bushes), plastic or other kinds of Easter eggs, angel ornaments and Halloween items.
• Paper umbrellas and plastic picks, saved from tropical drinks, plus chopsticks.
• Small plastic babies, baskets and other cute party favors from baby and wedding showers.
• Clearance shelves and racks at department stores, variety stores, rock and gem shops, hobby stores, novelty shops and other shops.
• "Free" box at yard sales.
• Small bowl of pennies.
• Check with children who you know, who outgrow their small toys and other little objects -- or moms who are clearing out!

The money that you save can be spent for small figures that you do not have at online sand tray stores like Toys of the Trade, Child Therapy Toys (which offers a great blog with lots of play therapy and sand tray ideas), Counseling Toys and others, many of which offer clearance sales or periodic discounts and promotions.