Kinetic sand is a type of play material that looks like wet, compacted sand. It’s different from traditional sand because kinetic sand sticks together in your hand, and it’s easy to mold into shapes. Kids love playing with this stuff! And the best part about kinetic sand is that you can buy it at most toy stores or online retailers. Let look a the cool things to do with kinetic sand.
So, what fun things can you do with kinetic sand? We’ve come up with a list of cool activities and crafts for you, your friends, and your kids!
Is Kinetic Sand Safe?
Kinetic sand is a type of play material made up of tiny grains of sand held together by a water-based adhesive. It has gained popularity in recent years because it is easy to mold into shapes, and when it dries, the sand does not stick to your hands.
So, is kinetic sand safe? The answer to that question depends on who you ask. Kinetic sand has been known to cause skin irritation in some people, so if you have sensitive skin, it may be a good idea to test out the product on a small part of your body. And because kinetic sand is a type of play material, it should not be ingested – so make sure to teach young children not to eat the product.
Cool Things to Do with Kinetic Sand
Here are some cool things you can do with kinetic sand:
1. Sand Playdough
Kinetic sand is a great material to play with because it’s so soft and malleable. It’s also fun to make things with, and you can create all sorts of shapes and designs. One great activity to do with kinetic sand is to make playdough out of it.
To make kinetic sand playdough, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand
- Water
- Food coloring (optional)
To make the playdough, start by adding a few tablespoons of water to your kinetic sand. Mix it until the water is fully absorbed. If you want, you can add food coloring at this point to give your playdough a fun color. Once the water is mixed in, add a few more tablespoons of water and mix again. Continue doing this until the playdough has reached your desired consistency. You can make it as thick or thin as you want.
Once the playdough is ready, you can use it in all sorts of creative ways. You can roll it into a ball and smash it flat again to create a pancake shape, for example, or build mini sandcastles with it.
2. Sand Slime
Another fun activity to do with kinetic sand is making slime. If you haven’t made slime before, it’s easy to make and really entertaining. Kinetic sand slime is a little different from most other types of slime, but it works the same way, and kids will love getting their hands messy and playing around with it. To make kinetic sand slime, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand
- Borax
- Water
To make the kinetic sand slime, start by adding your desired amount of kinetic sand to a bowl or bucket. Add some water and mix it in thoroughly to make sure every grain of sand is wet. It should be damp but not sopping wet; if it’s too wet, you’ll need to add some more sand.
Next, measure out your borax and set it aside. Add a half cup of water to your sand mixture and stir it in well. Pour the borax on top of the sand mixture slowly; it will react with the water and start forming clumps. Keep adding borax until you have a big clump of goopy sand in your bowl.
Once the mixture has turned to slime, take it out of the bowl and play around with it. It’s not quite as heavy or wet as regular kinetic sand, but kids will still enjoy making things with it or smashing it into pieces.
If you want, you can add a few drops of food coloring to your slime to make it even more colorful. If you do this, be sure not to put the borax on top of the slime until all the water has been absorbed, or else it will react with the liquid and form clumps too soon.
3. Sand Candle Holders
Sand candle holders are another exciting thing you can make with kinetic sand. You can easily make shapes to hold your candles with kinetic sand, and the finished project looks great too. The best part is that you can use it as decoration or light the candle inside. To make a kinetic sand candle holder, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand
- Thick candle (optional)
To make your candle holder, start by rolling out your kinetic sand on a flat surface. If you want, you can press the candle in it to make an impression before adding water. Once your shape is roughly how you like it, add some water and let the mixture soak in until it’s damp but not wet throughout.
Once your sand is damp, pull the mold apart at the edges and slip out the piece of sand that you just made. This will give it a nice smooth edge that looks decorative when displayed. You can also use this technique to create simple shapes or designs if you put them into individual molds instead of taking them right off after they’re done mixing.
4. Kinetic Sand Stamping
Stamping is a fun activity that you can do using kinetic sand. You can press all sorts of objects into the sand to make different designs. The best part about this activity is that kids can work together to create their own custom stamps by using whatever objects they happen to have lying around.
To make your kinetic sand stamp, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand
- Objects (like beans or spices)
To start, simply fill a shallow container with enough kinetic sand for your design. Once you’ve done that, lay down some paper and put your object on top of it. Using something heavy like a book, push down on the object until an impression has been in the sand below it; this will create your stamp.
With this technique, you can make any design you want, so get creative learning cool things to do with kinetic sand!
5. Treasure Hunt
One fun activity that kids will enjoy is a treasure hunt. Most parents have done this before with their children, but it’s always a hit because kids love finding hidden treasures. You can make treasure hunting even more fun with kinetic sand by adding clues and riddles to figure out where the next spot is.
To create a kinetic sand treasure hunt, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand
- Treasure rewards
To start your hunt, place some of your desired amount of kinetic sand into a plastic container or Ziploc bag—the bigger the container, the longer your hunt could be! Add in some small objects like beads or marbles to add weight and give it some purpose; these should be different from anything your child would normally find around the house so that it’s more exciting.
Once you have the container filled with sand and objects, place it somewhere your child will find it but won’t be able to see inside—underneath their pillow, between the sofa cushions, etc. After doing this, create a small map or riddle for them to follow, so they know where to go next. You could also leave some hints along the way to make sure they don’t get lost or give up too soon.
6. Fun Math and English Activities
Kinetic sand can also be used to make math and English more fun for kids. Rather than just memorizing the alphabet, let your child create letters or numbers with kinetic sand and learn how it works—they’ll have more fun memorizing things this way! To make a kinetic sand letter, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand
- A small glass (like an old jam jar)
To start, take some kinetic sand and place it at the bottom of the glass. Once you’ve got the right amount, press down on it until there’s about two inches of solid material at the bottom. Then, use something sharp like a toothpick to carve grooves into the surface along all its edges. Be careful not to break through any of the pieces, though.
If you want to make a number instead of a letter, use something pointy but not sharp like a toothpick or eraser end of a pencil to carve dots into your kinetic sand. Make as many as you need on the lines already there for each groove to create whatever number or shape, you’re trying to make. You can then turn this into math practice by having your child count them aloud while ensuring they didn’t mix up any dot placements!
7. Cook Up Pretend Meals
If you’re a parent, chances are that at least one of your kids has asked you to play with them in the kitchen. You can turn this into an educational activity by having them use kinetic sand! More cool things to do with kinetic sand. Kids love playing with food even if they don’t know how cooking it works, so your kids will greatly enjoy this while also learning about fractions and measurements.
To create kinetic sand food, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand
- Measuring spoons and cups
- Pint containers or other small plastic bowls for serving things like ice cream scoops
Pending the foods your kids want to make, you can make this a learning activity from start to finish! You could teach them how you would make a bowl of cereal, a hot dog, a cup of tea, etc.
You could also use this opportunity to incorporate some lessons on hot stoves and ovens. For example, walk them through how to make a cupcake or a 2-layer birthday cake!
If you have kids interested in cooking or baking but are still too young to do so themselves, let them practice making pretend versions of their favorite foods with kinetic sand!
8. Model The Solar System Planets
One fun thing you can do with kinetic sand is make a planetary model to learn about the solar system. To make your custom planet models, you’ll need:
- Kinetic sand (2 colors)
- Small bowls or cups
- Rolling pin (optional)
- Cardstock sheet (optional)
To start this activity, set up two small dishes of different colored kinetic sand—one blue and one orange are great choices for this demonstration. Put them next to each other. If you want to, you can roll up some cardstock sheets and place them on the floor or table as well, so your kids don’t have to worry about cleaning after this activity.
Once your setup is complete, tell your child you’re going to show them the planets in the solar system using kinetic sand! Have them come closer and watch as you take their first color of sand and place it in the center of the surface—this will be where your sun goes. Then, slowly add each individual planet as it orbits the sun or lines up next to it. You can tell your kid a little bit about each planet along the way!
Final Thoughts:
Kinetic sand is a versatile material that can be used for many different activities, both educational and recreational. In this article, we’ve shared just a few of the possibilities, but there are countless other cool things to do with kinetic sand out there waiting to be explored. Have fun with your kids using kinetic sand in new and exciting ways!