• Menu
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

Before Header

Little Bins Members

Little Bins for Little Hands

Simple Science and STEM for Every Day

Header Right

  • STEM
    • Jr Engineer
    • Coding
    • STEM CHALLENGES
  • Science Activities
    • Earth Sciences
      • Geology
      • Space
      • Ocean
      • Weather
    • Chemistry
    • Physics
  • Seasonal
    • Fall
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Spring
    • St Patricks Day
    • Easter
    • Earth Day
    • Summer
    • 4th of July
  • Art
    • Famous Artists
    • Process Art
      • 10+ Easy Homemade Paint Recipes For Kids
  • Slime
  • LEGO
  • Shop
  • Join
    • Little Bins Club
    • Library Club

Mobile Menu

  • STEM
    • Jr Engineer
    • Coding
    • STEM CHALLENGES
  • Science Activities
    • Earth Sciences
      • Geology
      • Space
      • Ocean
      • Weather
    • Chemistry
    • Physics
  • Seasonal
    • Fall
    • Halloween
    • Thanksgiving
    • Winter
    • Christmas
    • Valentine’s Day
    • Spring
    • St Patricks Day
    • Easter
    • Earth Day
    • Summer
    • 4th of July
  • Art
    • Famous Artists
    • Process Art
      • 10+ Easy Homemade Paint Recipes For Kids
  • Slime
  • LEGO
  • Shop
  • Join
    • Little Bins Club
    • Library Club

Engineering Play Sandbox Building Activity

Engineering play and sand sensory play all in one easy to set up STEM challenge! We came up with this awesome, easy engineering play idea using pieces of pvc pipes, sand and water! How simple and fun this is, but it incorporates great engineering play for early learning! STEM can be for young kids! Check out more awesome outdoor engineering projects for our 31 Days of Outdoor STEM series. Week 2 is all about engineering projects outdoors!

SIMPLE ENGINEERING PLAY IN THE SANDBOX

engineering play with sand and pipes sensory play STEM activity

Learn more about STEM with our What is STEM? article. STEM can start as early as your child is interested with very simple and playful activities like this one! Our 31 days of STEM Outdoors is a week by week theme for outdoor learning. Week 1 was science! Now, we are kicking off week 2 with engineering ideas! Check out our simple stick fort building idea too.

ENGINEERING PLAY WITH A BIN OF SAND OR A SANDBOX

We took our engineering play and sensory play challenge outside for our 31 Days of Outdoor STEM week 2 challenge. It was a warm sunny day! I filled our large, portable sensory bin with regular sandbox sand. I imagine he would grab his trucks, but what happened next was truly the fun part. We have had PVC pipes on the deck rails as a water wall for our stress free backyard play series, but he requested they be removed so he could put them in the sand bin as “water pipes for the road”. Early learning engineering play!

ENGINEERING PLAY STEM CHALLENGE

Of course sand is an awesome sensory filler but this time the filler took second stage to the manipulation of the pvc pipes and all the engineering play he could discover with them. Obviously a bucket of water was needed. I simply sat nearby and helped him gather what he needed. Occasionally I helped him work through a problem. This simple engineering activity is an amazing opportunity for young children. PVC pipes and fitting can be bought inexpensively from your hardware store.

Engineering play in a sandbox with PVC pipes outdoor STEM activity-2

Simple engineering play investigating the pvc pipes and digging holes for the road!

What else can you do with PVC pipes? Check out this house idea and pulley idea we built with these pipes.

engineering pay with pvc pipes

Testing the pipes and filling them with water! Learn how water flows.

CONTENT SUBSCRIBE BAR

engineering play sensory play filling pipe

Multiple pipelines installed, waterways working and a happy little engineer! Kids can create there own challenges and problems to solve in a variety of ways with this simple engineering STEM activity

engineering play with multiple pipes and sand

An easy to set up and open ended engineering activity with a sand sensory bin!

Perfect afternoon play to engage the mind and body for your little engineer.

 Simple engineering play activity for kids!

CHECK OUT ALL 31 DAYS OF STEM OUTDOORS!

OUTDOOR STEM

CHECK OUT THIS SUPER SIMPLE ENGINEERING IDEA TOO!

Pool Noodle Structures Summer Engineering STEM Challenge for Kids

It’s also A Sensory Bin Challenge Blog Hop!

Please visit these awesome blogs for their stories on child led sensory play

House of Burke

Preschool Powol Packets

Squiggles and Bubbles

Life with Moore Babies
Still Playing School

Teach me Mommy

Stir the Wonder

Craftulate

 

 


Previous Post: « Take Tech Outside: Best Free Outdoor Apps For families
Next Post: Outdoor Engineering Activities for Kids STEM Outdoors »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Samantha @ Stir the Wonder

    July 31, 2014 at 2:58 am

    Looks like he had a great time! I think we need to add PVC pipes to our sand table too! What a great idea!

  2. Sharon

    October 22, 2014 at 3:12 am

    Notify me of new posts by email.

Primary Sidebar

We have a PASSION for SLIME, and are dedicated to helping you make the best slime ever. Questions? Just ask us!

We also LOVE science and all things STEM. Join us on our journey to discover just how cool science can be. Want to know how to get started? Click on any of the images or menu options!

Site Footer

Sign Me Up!

Take our FREE 5-Day STEM Challenge with boredom busting activity ideas for kids!

Privacy Policy