Sand, Sand, Sand!

Sand, Sand, Sand!
Gifted by Leisure Arts
www.leisurearts.com
Reviewed by Molly Fletcher, Editor, FaveCrafts.com
 

Sculpting sand is an eco-friendly, inexpensive alternative to disposable supplies. Perfect for creative play, this amazing material is the focus of Sand, Sand, Sand! This book from Leisure Arts is packed with projects and educational activities for kids. Children can have a tactile experience as they shape, texturize, and decorate their creations. Because sculpting clay is designed to keep its moisture, it won't stick to clothes, which means clean up is a breeze. 

From simple shapes to faux food to mythical creatures, there is an idea in Sand, Sand, Sand! that will inspire your child. This book contains 29 projects that can be completed independently or in a group setting. Playtime with sculpting sand can spark the imagination, help kids master basic math skills and develop fine motor skills.

You can find plenty of suitable tools for sand sculpture in your kitchen. Sand, Sand, Sand! recommends using everyday items like cookie cutters, spatulas, chop sticks, and ice cube trays to enhance play. This book is divided by themes and includes ideas for sand sculpting parties, learning exercises, scene creation, play food, and animals. The mythical creatures such as the unicorn and the mermaid were very pretty, my favorite section is Create a Scene. Whether the task is a desert oasis or an island of dinosaurs, delightful details like spewing volcano are what bring these settings to life.

Popular games translate to sculpting sand, too. Play a few rounds of tic tac toe, or team up with a buddy to create a spread of sand pizza, ice cream, and cookies. Sand, Sand, Sand! suggests that with a few strips of craft foam, you can make your faux edibles look almost good enough to eat. Make learning fun by building math problems with number blocks and sand. If you make a mistake, you can just shake the sand and start over. Sculpting sand is also helpful when it comes to spelling, number and color recognition, and fractions. Whether you use it to solidify fundamental skills or to have some fun on a rainy afternoon, sculpting clay is a people-pleasing material that's also easy on the environment and your budget.
 

What do you (or your kids) like to create using sculpting sand? Tell us below!