Make your own magic sand or cloud dough for fun sensory activities with your preschooler. This awesome material can easily become a favorite go-to for creative fine motor play.
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Get ready to ‘ooh’ and ‘aah’ over magic sand. You’ll be amazed at the properties this play material has.
You have to see – and feel – it to believe it. It’s soft yet moldable. Strong but squishable. Dry and moist at the same time!
The texture is truly magical! Once you pick it up, it’s hard to put down. That’s what makes it a wonderful option for kids creative play.
Learn more about the science behind the sand to see why it works the way it does. Unlike regular sand, it repels water rather than absorbing it! That’s one of the properties that makes it so magical.
Fun with Magic Sand
Enjoy magic sand activities with store-bought or homemade sand.
BUY IT
We bought some original Kinetic Sand in small containers that resemble castles. The castle shape sparks creativity as soon as the lid is removed!
MAKE IT
It’s easy to make a similar version of this special sand.
Easy recipes show you how to make this sand with just a few basic ingredients.
The ingredients for this moist, sandy stuff that feels-like-sand-but-isn’t-sand are often shared with recipes for moon dough or cloud dough.
I asked some fellow kid bloggers to share their recipes for homemade magic sand, cloud dough and moon sand, and even sand slime!
Magic sand recipes
Make plain sand or colored sand. with easy recipes.
Use this sticky sand recipe for unique sensory play.
Try this awesome recipe for a mixture between sand and slime.
Spend time with homemade sand slime.
Grab this simple recipe for moon sand.
Make moon sand with coconut oil.
Check out this recipe for cloud dough.
Magic sand activities
Go on a space moon walk
Build a race track in the sand.
Provide alphabet construction play.
Dinosaur small world sand play is fun for kids!
Dinosaurs play in sticky beach sand you create.
Dig up dinosaurs with this excavation activity.
Create play food with magic sand.
Stamping letters, shapes and designs is easy in sticky sand.
Color matching is fun with moon dough.
Create magic sand with a winter theme.
Sensory play idea!
Slide the sand out of the container onto a foam tray or plate. See what shape you have!
Mash some sand with a fork.
Draw monster faces in the sand with craft sticks.
One of the interesting things about kinetic sand is the way it slowly moves. It’s awesome – and a little bit eerie – to watch this monster face change as the sand slowly sinks.
Tear pieces from a foam plate to make a flower, with sticky sand in the center. Place bits of foam plate on the sand for seeds or pollen.
Use these amazing play ideas to start the magic sand experience. I hope they inspire creative play for you and your early learners.
Whether homemade or store bought, this amazing sand might just become your new favorite addition to your toolkit.
