Craft Idea: DIY Moon Sand!

My son and I made moon sand to play with today and it is so simple to do, I thought I would post it for you as well. Moon sand is different from regular sand because it is a little denser so it can be molded into shapes.  The easiest way to explain it is if you imagine building a sand castle.  It is much easier to work with wet sand then it is to work with perfectly dry sand. So it can be a lot of fun to get brightly colored sand for the little ones to make all sorts of things with. Moon Sand you just need to mix together once and it can be reused over and over.  The colors won’t stain and once the kiddos get bored with it, you can always do art with the colored sand or brightly colored sand is really pretty in a clear glass jar with a votive candle.
To make moon sand you need to track down either plain white craft sand (sometimes found at Dollar Stores) or pre-colored sand.  If you find the plain white sand at the Dollar Store, you should be able to mix in a little food coloring.  I was not able to find it so I can’t say for certain how well it works. I finally found colored sand at Hobby Lobby for $2.49 (1 1/2 lbs)- use the 40% off coupon they offer each week and it is just $1.50.  You will also need Corn Starch (you can get some at Walmart for $1.00).
To make the sand is very simple and you can adjust this ratio to any quantity you like:

• 2 cups Colored Sand
• 1 cup corn starch
• 1/2 cup water

The colored sand above was exactly 2 cups.

Just mix all of those ingredients together in a bowl.  The color will not bleed so I just used my hands to do this.  And that is it!  Simple and really not very expensive. 

Note: I stored it in the sand container when he was done playing with it.
Have fun!