DIY kinetic sand - 5 step-by-step recipes

Sand games are a favorite pastime for preschoolers. Needless to say, it is interesting to both older children and even adults. This malleable material develops imagination, creativity, the desire to experiment, concentration. The result is not long in coming - this is the development of intelligence.

The difficulty lies in the fact that it is convenient to use wet sand in warm weather. In winter and during rain this type of game library is not available. You can create a kinetic analogue with your own hands at home. It perfectly replaces the river sand. And at hand there will always be an educational game for kids. The soft structure, its pliability, is available for the weak arms of the child.

Preparation and Precautions

Making kinetic sand is a creative experiment. Bring the child to work. Study the composition, properties of materials, compare them. Let the child help pour, mix. For the baby it will be unusual and interesting.

If the sand is clean, it is advisable to calcine it in the oven; if it is dirty, rinse it well and fry it as well.

Preparation for work

1. Choose a place to work. Put a protective apron on your child, create a creative mood.
2. Prepare a large bowl or bowl, a spoon or a wooden spatula, a measuring container.
3. Take the spray gun. With its help, you can bring the mass to the desired consistency.
4. To create color kinetics, use food coloring, watercolor, or gouache, dissolving them in water to a saturated color.

Do-it-yourself kinetic sand

When cooking at home, river or sea sand is used. In some recipes, this component is missing. In this case, the mass repeats some kinetic properties.

Classic version

Structure:

• Water - 1 part;
• Starch (corn) - 2 parts;
• Sand - 3-4 parts (take from the sandbox or buy in the store).

1. 1 way: mix sand with starch, gradually adding water and stirring.
   2 way: stir the starch in water, add sand. Bring to a soft, uniform mass.

Recipe without sand, on water and starch

You will need:

• Starch - 250 g;
• Water - 100 ml.

Mix the ingredients with a spatula. If the home-made sand is dry, crumble it and moisten it from the sprayer. Use colored water, then the mass will turn out bright, attractive.

Method on flour and butter

What is needed:

• Baby massage oil - 1 part;
• Flour - 8 parts.

Make a depression in the slide with flour. While stirring, slowly pour oil into the middle. Next, knead with your hands. It will turn out to be a malleable mass of pale sand color that does not lose properties for a long time.

Sand from soda and liquid soap

What is needed:

• Soda - 2 parts;
• Baking powder - 1 part;
• Liquid soap or dishwashing liquid - 1 part.

Manufacture:

After mixing soda and baking powder, gradually pour the soap. Bring to a homogeneous state. If excess moisture is obtained, add baking powder. The mass is white and soft. Crafts from it are fuzzy, so it is advisable to use molds and a spatula in the game.

Sand, glue and boric acid recipe

You will need:

• Sand - 300 g;
• Clerical (silicate) glue - 1 tsp;
• Boric acid 3% - 2 tsp.

Cooking:

Mix glue and boric acid until a sticky, uniform composition is formed. Add sand. Knead by hand with protective gloves. A loose mass resembling kinetic sand is formed. Drying in the air, it loses its properties.

Create a sandbox

Sand - Kinetic is ready. Now create a comfortable place to experiment. Although its structure is viscous, non-flowing, cleaning is required after each game. Therefore, build a sandbox so that there is no dirt left.

For the sandbox fit:

• Plastic container 10-15 cm high;
• Box with sides about 10 cm (wallpaper inside);
• Small inflatable pool.

Kinetic Sand Games

Than we play

Molds, shovels and rakes are used. You can diversify with other items:

• Different plastic forms that are found in the house, baking dishes.
• Children's dishes, safe knives or plastic stacks.
• Small cars, animals, dolls, Kinder toys - surprises.
• Various materials - sticks, tubes, caps from felt-tip pens, boxes, jars, corks.
• Natural materials - cones, acorns, stones, shells.
• Jewelry - large beads, bugles, buttons.
• Seals, both homemade and purchased.

Choose a game

1. Pour into a bucket (for the smallest).
2. We make cakes using the form or manually (we study the size, count, play in the store, canteen).
3. We make and decorate cakes, pastries, cut sausages and cakes (we play tea drinking, cafes).
4. We draw on a flat sand surface (we guess what we painted, we study letters, numbers, shapes).
5. We leave traces (on a flat surface we come up with our own traces, guess which object left a trail, create beautiful patterns).
6. We are looking for a treasure (we dig in turns and look for small toys, for older children you can search and guess with your eyes closed).
7. We build a road, a bridge (we use small cars for the game, waste material for creating a bridge, road signs).
8. We build a house, a store (we play story games with small dolls, animals, small items of furniture).
9. We create a sand sculpture (we sculpt letters, numbers, we guess in turn that we were blind).

What is kinetic sand and its advantages

Kinetic sand is a Swedish invention with moving properties. The composition includes 98% sand and 2% synthetic additives, which gives softness, airiness and ductility. It seems to flow through fingers, grains of sand are interconnected, do not crumble. Outwardly, it is moist, holds its shape well, easily sculpts, cuts, thereby attracting children and adults. Proprietary material is stored for 3 years.

The tool is very popular, but for many it is not available due to the high price. Some parents create an analogue with their own hands, to the delight of the children. Although it is inferior in properties, it has a number of advantages.

• Interesting in the game. Interested in not only children, but also adults.
• The texture is easily restored (if it dries, moisten from a spray, if wet, then dry).
• Do not stain clothes and hands, just shake off.
• The structure is viscous, so it’s easy to clean after the game.
• Does not contain dirt, safe for health.
• Quickly and easily created with your child.

At home cooking, affordable.

Benefits for children and adults

Acquaintance with sand and its properties begins from the first year of a child's life. This is one of the first building materials that can be sculpted, cut, decorated, you can create buildings and experiment.

• Develops creative imagination, fantasy.
• Forms an artistic taste.
• Promotes the ability to concentrate, perseverance.
• Creates emotional relaxation with nervous tension and fears.
• Helps in the study of forms, quantities, letters, numbers.
• Develops fine motor skills of the hands.
• Stimulates the formation of skills in drawing, modeling, writing.
• Accelerates speech development, ability to communicate and negotiate.

Working and playing with kinetic sand, the child develops intellectual abilities, develops an inquiring mind, visual-effective and imaginative thinking. And for an adult - this is a way to relieve stress, pleasant for work and creativity.

The opinion of doctors about sand kinetics

The softness, plasticity of kinetic sand attracts parents as a playful, educational material for children. It is popular among pediatricians and neuropathologists. A unique remedy has healing properties. The calming effect corrects the mental disorders of children and adults. It is widely used for the rehabilitation of patients with mental and nervous disorders. A healthy quartz sand compound does not cause allergies. Hygienic composition, does not contaminate hands, clothing.

Useful Tips

• Kinetic is not afraid of water. If during the game he gets wet, you can dry a little.
• At elevated temperatures, the composition becomes viscous and sticks to the hands. When chilled, it is perfectly molded, keeps its shape.
• The sand composition adheres to silicone forms, they are unsuitable for games.
• To collect scattered grains of sand, just roll up the ball and roll it on the surface.
• You need to store game material in a plastic container in a cool place.

The kinetic mass created at home does not completely repeat the properties of the proprietary material, but is also well molded and cut. True, it does not have airiness and fluidity. And the shelf life is less, as it dries quickly, and in closed containers it deteriorates, and it has to be replaced. But the affordable price allows kids to play with any quantity and at any time.

One of the most favorite children's activities is modeling. The main thing is that the material is soft, pleasant to the touch, easily formed and safe for health. Kinetic sand made by yourself will be an excellent educational and creative game for children and adults.