My daughter and I went on a hunt through the toy aisles for Moon Sand this week (thanks to the power of those very persuasive toy commercials!) If you haven’t seen the commercials, Moon Sand is that cool kinetic sand that you see in all the stores. We decided that it would be a fun activity to keep us busy this summer, and perhaps a different spin from the play dough that we love. (Here is a great homemade play dough recipe) She was so excited to find the little box of Moon Sand, and I was a little shocked to see the price of said little box of Moon Sand. It didn’t seem like very much product for the price! With a quick search on google, I skillfully steered my daughter out of the toy aisle and into the grocery section. Did you know that you can make your own Moon Sand? Only three ingredients and you can mix up hours of fun. I decided that this experiment would be worth a try!
What is Kinetic sand?
To accomplish this money-saving experiment, I had to figure out just what exactly kinetic sand is. I learned that it is considered a three-dimensional building toy (perfect for sculpting and re-sculpting) and it is made of 98% sand and 2% polydimethylsiloxane (which is a type of silicone oil.) It mimics the physical properties of wet sand, which I know from experience, can keep a child busy for hours! Now to experiment with some easy recipes using ingredients that I can pronounce!
Moon Sand Ingredients
- Play sand
- Cornstarch
- water
- plastic container
Moon Sand
Moon Sand Recipe
- 9 cups play sand (Really fine sand)
- 3 cups cornstarch
- 2 1/2 cups water
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Mix together the sand and cornstarch. Add in about 2 1/4 cups water and stir. Continue adding the water until you have the desired consistency.
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You can experiment with the ingredient amounts until you get it exactly how you like it.
How to make Moon Sand
Mix 9 Cups of play sand with cornstarch. I spent a little extra money on the colored sand. It was a nice way to color the moon sand without having to use any food coloring or food dye.
Mix well.
Then add in about 2 1/2 Cups water. Start with 2 1/4 cups and continue adding the water until you have the desired consistency.
Mix well. I think that this is the fun part. This is such great sensory play for preschoolers! it would be a great addition to a preschool play area and it would also make a fun activity to do at a backyard birthday party.
You can experiment with the ingredients until you get it exactly how you like it. Be careful though, it is very easy to get sandy oobleck! When finished playing, cover and store. Next time you play add a few tablespoons of water if it needs to be moistened. We stored it in a plastic tote, but I think that you could also store it in the gallon size plastic zip bags. The plastic tote makes for a great sensory bin.
It isn’t exactly the perfect moon sand but it is close. The recipe make a lot more than the small box on the toy shelf and it is much cheaper. I have heard that you can add essential oils or kool aid packets to increase the sensory fun. Adding smell seems like a great option, but I haven’t tried it yet. My kids had a great time and the kids loved the homemade moon sand (I found that even the real Moon Sand did not meet my kids expectations) Now you know how to make your own kinetic sand, and I hope that you and your kids will enjoy this fun experiment. I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below, and if you try and add any smells, I would love to hear how they worked out for you!
More fun sensory projects
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