Give each child a stick or other long object. Say the name of an object or emotion and instruct each child to draw it in the sand using the stick. Show the children how to "erase" their drawings by flattening the sand with their hands. Repeat with a new object or emotion.
Give each child a different mold and allow her to construct objects in the sand, like castles or fish. Have the children use their imaginations to draw items in the sand that correlate with their molded images.
Wet the sand and have the children make sand sculptures. Wet sand lends itself well to sculptures. Allow the children to make any creation they want or give guidance as to what they can sculpt.
Give each child a magnifying glass. Explore the sand and explain to the children that sand is actually made up of millions of tiny rocks and that each piece is different. Try to find some shiny sand pieces and pieces of different colors.
Hide small dinosaur toys or pieces of pasta in the sand, and go on an archeological dig. You can also hide dinosaur puzzle pieces and have the children complete the puzzle as they go.
Use the sand to teach children basic science. Have the children observe the difference in texture and weight of wet versus dry sand. Experiment with how much sand can fit in different containers. Pour the sand in different sized containers and have the children guess which one will be heavier.
Have one child hide an object in the sand while the other children are blindfolded or facing away from the sand table. When you say "go," everyone scrambles to look for the object. The first person to find it gets to hide it again.
Hide several objects of differing colors or shapes in the sand. Call out a color or shape and have the children only search for items with that color or shape. This is fun and also helps reinforce colors and shapes.
Play a version of hot potato. Give one child a marble or small toy. Have the children bury their hands in the sand. When the music starts, each child must dig through the sand to find the other child's hand and pass the ball on. Hands must stay buried under the sand at all times. The child holding the ball when the music stops is out.