Tactile Play in the 1980’s: Making “OJ” in the Backyard

Summertime in my childhood backyard included a daily gathering of my siblings and next-door neighbors, barefoot, with time to be bored. When I was young, my father built a HUGE sandbox in our yard that was shaded by an enormous eucalyptus tree. (That tree was even home to a treehouse big enough to sleep in with my childhood bestie, Heidi, and a firepole to slide down in the morning!).

We spent hours and hours in that sandbox as kids. We used plastic cups and bowls from the kitchen and used our hands and bodies to push, scoop, and pile up mountains of sand and dig elaborate tunnels that intertwined with one another. It would take most of the day to create this intricate city of sand. Once finished, our filthy bodies would stand back and admire our collaborative creation. Then, we would drag the garden hose across the yard and begin filling up the various rivers.

As the water rose in our city of sand, the tiny pieces of bark and the little cone shaped fruits that had fallen from the eucalyptus tree would collect in the river waters. It eventually took on a bit of a white color and foamy texture. And as a result, the staple of our summer-time creatively was affectionately named, “OJ”, representing the foamy top of a delicious glass of orange juice. This is the kind of outdoor play I was blessed to experience in the 1980’s. Exploratory and messy. Creative, child-led, and a rich sensory-based experience, with joy, peer negotiation, and play at the center of those summertime escapades. (Shout out to my Mom for seeing the value in all that messy play. What a clean-up process it always was!)

Today, many children are growing up in a very different environment. With the rise of screens and structured activities, there are simply fewer opportunities for this kind of open-ended, sensory-based, whole-body play. While technology has its place, it can’t replicate experiences that help children develop body awareness, creativity, and comfort with different textures. And rich sensory exploration actually helps to lay the groundwork for fine motor skills! When some children enter school today, they have had less exposure to messy, unpredictable materials. As a result, they may feel hesitant or even avoidant when those experiences are introduced. 

The good news is that we can be intentional about bringing these opportunities back in simple, manageable ways:

Simple ways to support tactile exploration at home or school:

• Start small and low-pressure: Offer dry or familiar textures first like rice, beans, or kinetic sand before introducing messier materials

• Use tools before hands: Scoops, spoons, cups, or paintbrushes can help children engage while maintaining a sense of control

• Keep it predictable: Let children know what to expect and where the play will happen (outside, in a bin, with a towel nearby)

• Join them: Your presence matters. When children see you comfortably engaging, it builds their confidence

• Follow their lead: Some children may dive right in, while others need time. Both are okay

These moments don’t need to be elaborate or time-consuming. (You don’t have to have a backyard sandbox as large as the one my father built!) Even small, consistent opportunities to explore textures can help children build confidence, curiosity, and a more positive relationship with sensory play over time.