Glossary
What is a sand tray?
Also called: sand tray therapy, sandplay, sand play therapy, sandtray
Definition
A sand tray is a shallow box of sand, used in counselling with a collection of small figures, in which a child builds scenes that show what is on their mind without having to describe it in words.
What it means
The tray is usually blue on the inside, so that sand can be pushed back to make water or sky, and is small enough for a child to see all of it at once. Next to it sit shelves of miniatures: people, animals, houses, trees, vehicles, fences, monsters, treasure. The child picks what they want and arranges it however they like.
The method goes back to Margaret Lowenfeld’s “World Technique” in London in the 1920s. Dora Kalff later developed a form called sandplay, which has its own training. Today many counsellors and therapists use a sand tray as one tool among several. The counsellor does not interpret the scene for the child or tell them what it “means”.
What it can look like for your child
Some children make the same scene week after week, then one day change a single detail, such as a fence that is suddenly opened. Some bury figures and dig them up again. Some line every animal up in neat rows and say nothing. Others tell long stories while they build. Many children simply like the feel of the sand, which can be calming on its own.
How counselling can help
The sand tray gives a child some control over a world they can build and knock down. It suits children who find eye contact or direct questions hard, including many autistic children. In our playroom the sand tray is often the first thing a child goes to. We may take a photo of a scene, with the child’s agreement, so they can look back at how it changed.