Sand tray interviews: Developing a method to explore the grief and support needs of 4- to 8-year-old parentally bereaved children

Abstract

This article presents the ‘sand tray interview’ as a method developed to help researchers interview young children on sensitive topics. Earlier studies have often refrained from interviewing young children on sensitive matters due to the difficulties of conducting such research. This article explores how sand tray interviews can serve as a safe and engaging way for young children to explore painful topics, such as parental bereavement. Based on our application of this technique to a sample of children (4–8 years old), we discuss the development of the method and its applications, strengths, and limitations.