Arts & Entertainment

Sand + Water + Cornstarch = Fun

Outdoor art project is perfect for cooler summer days.

There is something wonderful about watching children build in the sand.  Castles, moats, swimming pools, mermaids and turtles are formed with this never-ending supply of building material.  Just some sand and water is all that is needed for building, tactile exploration and just plain fun.

One way to recreate this fun at home is to make your own combination of moldable sand. This is a great project for back porches, decks and driveways. Sand will spread, especially with the help of kids so you may want to begin with a big bin and a plan for an outdoor play area.
Mix together one part water with two parts corn starch and three parts sand. For example 6 cups of sand, 2 cups of corn starch and a cup of water.

For larger quantities, you can use a bigger measure and add boxes of cornstarch to a big bag of sand. It is a formula with some room to improvise so see what works best for you and your kids.  Begin by mixing the dry sand and corn starch together and then gradually add the water, adding a bit more if needed to get a desired moldable consistency.  

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If your sand sits out and becomes dry it can be refreshed by water too. If you get too much water - this can be a fun experiment - leave the top off your bin and allow it to dry out a bit.

In an earlier article we featured making oobleck and sidewalk paint with cornstarch.  () It does not seem to attract bugs and is safe for the environment.

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Kids may be interested to learn how this mixture is similar to oobleck in that the cornstarch adds an increased cohesion and moldability to the sand. For greater experimentation, you might try mixing up a batch of oobleck (one part water two parts corn starch) and then adding sand to see how this new ingredient impacts the mixture.

If you want to make your sand mixture more exciting, try one of the colored play sands.  Add some sand toys, kitchen utensils and rocks and sticks and enjoy watching your child play and mold with the sand.


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