# Motor Skill-Teaching Shovels This Sandbox Tool is a Digging Toy That Teaches Hand-Eye Coordination By Laura McQuarrie | Published 2013-08-06 | Life-Stages Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/sandbox-tool References: [fancy](http://www.fancy.com/things/416050524375225285/Commercial-Sand-Digger-Toy) & [amazon](http://www.amazon.com/Commercial-Sand-Digger-Toy-red/dp/B009RWO28S?tag=trenhunt0f-20) This sandbox tool is a step up from the tiny kids spades and shovels that you might normally find on the playground. The 'Commercial Sandbox Digger' is a serious-looking toy that will certainly fuel kids' dreams of digging to China or creating an underground city. Beyond this, this toy is a powerful tool to help [kids learn](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-helper-play-kit) [hand-eye coordination](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/handson-learning-solution). In addition to this, the toy requires movement of the full body, keeping kids active as well. The shovel has a sturdy steel body and swivelling joints that is durable enough to burrow through the earth and even tougher for being handled by kids on the playground. As well, this toy can be used across many seasons, even in the [winter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/electric-snow-shovel), although mobility might be a little more challenging when kids are bundled up tightly in their snowsuits. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.9/10 - Popularity: 52% | Activity: 26% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 70% men, 30% women - Primary generations: Gen Z, Gen Alpha - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Life-Stages](https://www.trendhunter.com/life-stages) > [Youth](https://www.trendhunter.com/youth) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Motor Skill-teaching Toys:** There is opportunity to create more toys that promote the development of motor skills in children. - **Outdoor Learning:** The trend towards outdoor learning presents an opportunity for companies to create products that combine education with outdoor play. - **Interactive Play:** There is an opportunity to create more toys that involve movement and physical activity to promote health and wellness in children. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Toy Industry:** Companies in the toy industry can develop more products that combine education and physical activity to promote children's development. - **Education Industry:** The education industry can incorporate more outdoor learning and play into their curriculum to aid in children's overall development. - **Recreation Industry:** The recreation industry can leverage the trend towards physical activity by creating more interactive and engaging products for children to play with outdoors. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [STEM Excavation Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jurassic-world-dinosaur-dig.md) - [Children Gardening Toy Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lets-explore-flower-gardening-play-set.md) - [Outdoor Exploration Toy Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lets-explore-hiking-play-set.md) - [Life-Sized Toy Construction Sets](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/funphix.md) - [Food-Inspired Children’s Games](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/noodle-knockout-fine-motor-game.md) - [Creative STEM-Based Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/jitterygit.md) - [Skill-Building Play Kitchens](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/real-life-play-kitchen.md) - [Animal-Inspired Sensory Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/spike-the-fine-motor-hedgehog-fidget-friend.md) - [Sustainable Kinetic Sand Toys](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/kinetic-sand-project-planet.md)