Glow in the Dark Sand Recipe

What could be more fun than playing and exploring with glow in the dark sand?  Making it yourself!

Glow in the Dark Sand Recipe

You can buy glow in the dark sand, but it is pretty pricey.  Why not make it yourself?  The process is fun and easy.  This sand is great for sensory play, arts and crafts, magic melting sand play, and an array of other creative activities.  

Glow in the Dark Sand Materials (affiliate links provided)

• Epsom salt or another preferred salt variety
• Zip seal bags
• Glow in the dark and/or fluorescent paint

Instructions

• Place the desired amount of salt in a zip seal bag, one bag for each color of sand you want to make.  Then add a squirt or two of glow in the dark or fluorescent paint.  The glow in the dark paint we use can be found in a variety of colors at Walmart or online here.  We also used some of our favorite fluorescent paint so that we could make the complete rainbow of glowing sand colors.  Seal the bags and mix until all of the salt crystals are saturated in color.  Add more paint if needed

• Once the salt crystals are saturated open the bags and allow the salt to dry.  Drying will take roughly 24 hours.  You can lay the salt out on cookie sheets to dry faster, or you can let it dry right in the bag

• The salt may clump together a bit as it dries but will easily break apart once it is handled.  Once the salt is dry pour it into a sensory bin or storage container.  That's it!  Easy and frugal glow in the dark sand!

Add buckets, shovels, and scoopers and play can begin

As kids play the colors will blend and swirl to create neat effects

This sand is so colorful and fun!  Rosie and Jewel have had a blast playing and exploring.  We had a few jars on hand and used those to make beautiful glow in the dark sand art (photos coming soon).  No matter how kids play they are sure to have fun!  Given that this sand is made from salt you can also add water for amazing melting sand play!  That playtime was truly BEAUTIFUL!

A Few Tips:  You can get Epsom salt at Dollar tree as well as other salt varieties.  You can use any salt for this, but Epsom salt is good for the skin and is a fine grain salt, making it perfect for making play sand.  Adding water to the sand produces amazing melting effects and is a fun way to explore the science of salt and water.  

Click the photos below for more fun kid activities

   

Tweet