Beach in a Box: How to Make Homemade Sand

Beach in a Box: How to Make Homemade Sand

We can’t always get to the coast when we want a fun family day out, so let the beach come to you with this homemade sand recipe!

This homemade sand is more commonly called Moon Sand, and it gets its name because it is more similar in colour to the moon than regular beach sand. You can, of course, add a small amount of golden yellow, orange, and brown food colourings if you want to make yours more of a standard beachy colour.

Homemade sand with cookie cutters - sensory play

Playing with Moon Sand can be a perfect calm sensory play activity for kids of any age. It can help develop fine motor skills, hand eye coordination, and it can be a great way to boost imagination. Kids who are learning numbers and measuring can get involved in helping to make it too!

While kinetic sand (regular sand coated in silicone oil) and sandbox sand offer a similar textural play activity, this Moon Sand is perfect for babies and younger kids who are at a stage where they are keen to put everything in their mouths! This is because it’s made using simple kitchen ingredients, making it safe to eat – although we wouldn’t recommend it by the spoonful.

Simple ingredients

Ingredients and tools for homemade sand

  • 8 tbsp plain flour
  • 1 tbsp oil (we used vegetable oil, but any cooking oil will do here)
  • Small containers to make “sandcastles”
  • Small plastic cookie cutters

Easy Recipe

Making homemade sand

  • Cover your surface in old newspaper or tea towels to catch fallen “sand”
  • Measure out your ingredients into a box or bowl
  • Mix together with your fingers in a rubbing motion, similar to making crumble topping or pastry.
  • The texture should be easily shapeable, while remaining crumbly. If it is too dry, add a small amount of oil. If it is too soft, add more flour.
  • Play!

If the sand remains clean, you can keep it in a sealed plastic container for up to a month after it has been made, ready to play with again.

We loved spending time playing with the sand and remembering our last trip to the beach. Remember to have some ice creams in the freezer for when you’re done, you’ll be craving a seaside treat!

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