"The sandplay collection is a part of my life. When a child uses the miniatures it is like they are playing my violin." -Kaspar Kiepenheuer

This poignant quote is included (among several others) in this excellent article by Gretchen Hegeman posted on the Sandplay Therapists of America website.  In the article, Ms. Hegeman discusses the importance of creating an individualized sandplay collection in establishing the necessary connection between therapist and client. Sandplay of course relies heavily on symbolism, but it is easy to forget that it is not only about what the objects symbolize to the sandplayer, but what the objects suggest about the therapist who is asking him or her to participate in an activity that might seem strange and, certainly, unfamiliar. Therefore, the components and arrangement of the collection must disclose something about the therapist's world and personality in order for the client to feel comfortable disclosing their own. "The final element is spontanaeity," Hegeman writes. It's a very interesting article and I hope you'll give it a read.

While the article suggests that there is no strict recipe for a sandplay collection, it does provide a list of objects and figurines should be considered for a comprehensive personalized display.

Sandplay Miniature Collection:

Nature

Earth: rocks, stones, volcanoes, mountains, semi-precious stones and crystals.

Ocean: coral, shells, seaglass, kelp, driftwood.

Plants: Trees of various types, including some of natural materials as well as plastic. Shrubs, sticks and branches, moss, lichen. Flowers and vegetables.

Animals: With both wild and domestic animals, it is helpful to have families (mother, father and babies) and to have animals in different poses.

Wild: African, Asian, Australian, American, world-wide birds, snakes, water mammals, fish and insects.

Domestic: Horses, cows, bulls, sheep, chickens, dogs, cats.

Prehistoric: Meat eaters and vegetarians.

Fantasy: Dragons, unicorns, monsters.

Human Beings:

Ordinary People: Workings, walking, sitting, playing.

* Families of similar proportions and children of different ages.

* Occupations: Farmers, doctors, nurses, firemen, clergy, athletes, policemen-- both men and women.

People through the ages and of different races and levels of society: Entertainers, royalty, soldiers, religious (one's own as well as others with which one is familiar).

Fantasy:

Wizards and witches, smurfs and dwarfs.

Different cultures with which the therapist is familiar including a sufficient number of figures to make a total scene.

Archetypes:

Figures, objects representing

Shadow:

Scary and ugly objects. Everything has a shadow. We can see shadow in how objects are placed and used.

Transportation:

Land, sea and air. Vehicles, military and work equipment. Historical forms of transportation.

Buildings:

Churches, schools, stores, institutions, different kinds of houses. Lighthouse, waterwheel, windmill. Old and new buildings. Castles. Structures and dwellings for foreign cultures in your collection.

Other Structures:

Bridges, fences, wells, towers.

Equipment:

Work, farm, household, musical instruments.

Furniture

Miscellaneous:

Mirrors, flags, umbrellas, feathers, candles with matches, bonfires. String, sculptey, pipecleaners and other building and construction materials. 

Most of these items can be found on the ChildTherapyToys.com sandplay miniatures page. And for those interested in doing a little virtual browsing, check out this video on YouTube.