Homemade Kinetic Sand

Rosie & Jewel have been wanting kinetic sand since they first saw it in the store.  We often see it on display and set out to try, and while it is lots of fun it is also very expensive.  When faced with situations like these I love to try to make play materials before buying them.  Here is a super inexpensive way to make your own kinetic sand at home.

Homemade Kinetic Sand

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While this sand is not exactly like the store bought stuff it is similar.  It has a very unusual texture that is super squishy, mold-able, and lots of fun.  I played around a lot with the ingredients to get the mixture just right.  I added one ingredient to our quicksand recipe and changed the amounts, and that did the trick & produced a kinetic-like sand!

Kinetic Sand Recipe

• 6 cups of play sand (we buy ours at Home Depot- $5 for a huge bag)
• 1 & 1/2 cups of corn starch
• 2 tsp of dish soap
• 3/4 cup of water

Method

• In a sensory bin or container combine the play sand and corn starch and mix well

• Combine the soap and water in a separate container, and stir until the water is bubbly

• Slowly pour the water into the sand/cornstarch and mix well. Mix and mix before adding more water.  If more water is needed add a little more and mix.  Continue to add more water until the desired consistency is reached.  I used 3/4 of a cup of water, and the consistency was perfect, but if your sand is coarser or finer than mine you may need more or less water, so add it SLOWLY! 

• Optional:  After a few hours of play I added a bit more dish soap to our sand to revive it & give it that amazingly fun & squishy quality.  I simply squirted a little in & mixed well.

That's it!  Easy, right?  And so fun!  Add buckets/shovels or scoopers/kitchen gadgets, and kids will have a blast building and creating

The dish soap in this recipe is what gives the sand a kinetic-like quality.  It is so fun to squish and form into shapes in your hands.  It is also very mold-able, making it great for building sand castles and other structures

Add cars or other toys for a simple way to extend the fun

When play time is over store your sand in an airtight container where it will stay good for several weeks.  If it dries out at all just add a touch of water and mix it into the sand the next time you go to play.  We have had our sand for a few weeks now, and Rosie and Jewel ask to play with it often!  Happy playing!

Other Sand Activities to Try:

Sand Slime           Sticky Sand          Glowing Sand

      

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