Every year on August 11th， to celebrate their Play In The Sand Day， people inthe US embrace the joy of playing in the sand.

Playing in the sand isn’t just a whimsical1 pastime—it’s a chance to unleash2 creativity. You can build the towers. You can dig for buried treasures.The point is to dive in， hands first， and let the grains3 of time slip through yourfingers most delightfully.

Humans have found joy in the grains beneath their feet since ancient times.The earliest footprints found in sand， dating back about 117，000 years， highlight4our long-standing connection with this natural playground.

By the early 20th century， playing in the sand had become a beloved beachactivity， thanks in part to innovations5 like sandcastle molds. These molds made iteasier for beachgoers to create sculptures6， sparking widespread interest insandcastle building.

Fast forward to the 1950s， and the toy industry had begun to capitalize7 on thepopularity of sand play. It started producing a range of toys designed specifically forthis purpose. This era also saw the rise of sandboxes as a staple8 in playgroundsand backyards.

The first International Sand Sculpting Festival， held in 1974， showcased thecreativity of sand sculptors. It solidified9 “playing in the sand”as a pastime and aform of artistic expression.

The world’s tallest freestanding sandcastle， built in Germany in 2019， stoodalmost 17.65 meters. That’s as tall as a four or five-story tall building.

Whether you find yourself at the beach or in your backyard， remember everygrain of sand is a story waiting to unfold. Just enjoy the endless possibilities thatcome with just playing in the sand.

為了慶祝玩沙子節(jié)，每年的8 月11 日，美國人會享受在沙灘上玩耍的快樂。

玩沙子不僅僅是一種異想天開的消遣，也是一個釋放創(chuàng)造力的機會。你可以建造塔樓。你可以挖掘埋藏的寶藏。關(guān)鍵是要沉浸其中，先把手伸進去，讓時間的顆粒最愉快地從你的手指間滑過。

自古以來，人類就從腳下的顆粒中找到了快樂。在沙子中發(fā)現(xiàn)的最早的腳印可以追溯到大約11 萬7 千年前，這突顯了我們與這個天然游樂場的長期聯(lián)系。

到20 世紀初，玩沙子已經(jīng)成為一種受人喜愛的海灘活動，這在一定程度上要歸功于沙堡模具等創(chuàng)新。這些模具使海灘游客更容易創(chuàng)作出雕塑，引發(fā)了人們對搭建沙子城堡的廣泛興趣。

快進到20 世紀50 年代，玩具行業(yè)已經(jīng)開始利用玩沙子游戲的流行，開始生產(chǎn)一系列專門為此目的設(shè)計的玩具。這個時代也見證了沙箱作為游樂場和后院的主要設(shè)施的興起。

1974 年舉辦的第一屆國際沙雕節(jié)展示了沙雕藝術(shù)家的創(chuàng)造力。它鞏固了“玩沙子節(jié)”作為一種消遣和藝術(shù)表達形式的地位。

世界上最高的獨立式沙子城堡于2019 年在德國搭建，高約17.65 米。它相當于四五層樓那么高。

無論你是在海灘上還是在后院，請記住，每一粒沙子都是一個等待展開的故事。請享受玩沙帶來的無盡可能性吧。