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Sand Play Dough Recipe - Beach Sensory Activity for Kids

Whether your waterside getaway was rained out or you're dreaming of warm weather on a winter day, this play-dough sand is perfect for bringing the beach inside! The easy recipe requires no cooking other than boiling water and whips up in just a few minutes. Its glorious texture is perfect for fulfilling all your sand castle dreams without the mess of real sand!

10-25 minutes Ages 5-10 5 steps may need help Allergen warning

About This Project

A 10–25 minutes craft for ages 5–10, using supplies you likely already have — Measuring Spoons, Vegetable Oil, and Flour.

GlueStick supports kids from setup to cleanup. After they choose a project, we guide them through gathering the supplies, making it, and cleaning up when they're done. We'll even help them share it safely with trusted family and friends.

Ad-free and kid-safe library — designed by a mom who wants kids to explore and create independently.

Heads up: This project may use supplies that can trigger allergies. Check with your grown-up before starting.

This project is perfect for:

Beach Theme Activities
Rainy Day Projects
Winter Indoor Fun
Sensory Play Recipes
No-Cook Play Dough

Project Tags

beach mermaid rock pirate sand play dough

1
Find Supplies

Do you have everything you need?

Create a free GlueStick account to track supplies and see if you have what you need at a glance. Leave your kids tips about where supplies are stored in your household so they can set up and clean up their creative spaces independently.

00:00

Heads up: Some supplies in this project may trigger allergies. Ask a grown-up before using them.

Measuring Spoons
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Vegetable Oil
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Allergen

Flour
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Allergen

Cream of Tartar
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Mixing Spoons
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Boiling Water
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Salt
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Large Mixing Bowls
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Measuring Cups (Dry)
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Measuring Cup (Liquid)
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown

Sand
Unknown cupboard quantity You have: unknown
2
Make Sand Play Dough

Messy Mode

Gather ingredients

Gather up all your ingredients, measuring cups, and measuring spoons. It is VERY important to have separate measuring cups for the sand and the flour. DO NOT dip your measuring cup from the sand into your flour, or you'll never want to bake cookies with that flour again. To avoid getting sand in our other kitchen supplies, we kept the sand on a plastic table cloth on the other side of the room when we made our dough.

Mix the dry ingredients

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup sand, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup salt, and 1 tablespoon cream of tarter until evenly mixed.

Add wet ingredients

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 3/4 cups boiling water to the mixture and stir well. Be careful when handling boiling water. Make sure to stir the mixture well enough to coll it down before moving on to the next step.

Knead the dough

Once the dough is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bowl and knead it in your hands. Make sure all the dry ingredients are mixed in fully. The dough should be only slightly sticky and hold it's shape well. If it is too wet, try adding more sand. If too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

What will you make with your dough?

Time to get creative! Sand castles with moats, fossils and imprints, make animal tracks, or just squish it in your hands and between your toes. This dough has such a satisfying feel. You'll love getting creative with it. Store it in an air-tight container for up to 7 days. If mold appears or the dough develops a yeasty, fermented smell, discard it immediately.

Your creative buddy says:

"Let's stick together and make this one!"

Heads up! Some supplies may trigger allergies. Check with a grown-up before using them.

Step 1: Gather ingredients

May need grown-up help

Gather up all your ingredients, measuring cups, and measuring spoons. It is VERY important to have separate measuring cups for the sand and the flour. DO NOT dip your measuring cup from the sand into your flour, or you'll never want to bake cookies with that flour again. To avoid getting sand in our other kitchen supplies, we kept the sand on a plastic table cloth on the other side of the room when we made our dough.

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

May need grown-up help

In a large bowl, mix 1 cup sand, 1 cup flour, 1/4 cup salt, and 1 tablespoon cream of tarter until evenly mixed.

Step 3: Add wet ingredients

HOT! Grown-up required May need grown-up help

Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and 3/4 cups boiling water to the mixture and stir well. Be careful when handling boiling water. Make sure to stir the mixture well enough to coll it down before moving on to the next step.

Step 4: Knead the dough

May need grown-up help

Once the dough is cool enough to handle, remove it from the bowl and knead it in your hands. Make sure all the dry ingredients are mixed in fully. The dough should be only slightly sticky and hold it's shape well. If it is too wet, try adding more sand. If too dry, add water 1 teaspoon at a time until you reach the desired consistency.

Step 5: What will you make with your dough?

May need grown-up help

Time to get creative! Sand castles with moats, fossils and imprints, make animal tracks, or just squish it in your hands and between your toes. This dough has such a satisfying feel. You'll love getting creative with it. Store it in an air-tight container for up to 7 days. If mold appears or the dough develops a yeasty, fermented smell, discard it immediately.
3
Clean up
Put things away so your space is tidy for next time.

Reminder, this project used supplies that may trigger allergies. Store them safely!
Tidy up our space

Pick up anything that fell on the floor.

Wipe up any spills on the table.

Put your completed project somewhere safe!

Throw away all your trash and recycling.
Put away our supplies

Check off each supply when it is put away — and any clean-up tips underneath are done too. You might find a fun surprise!

Put away vegetable oil. Where they belong:

Put away flour. Where they belong:

Put away cream of tartar. Where they belong:

Put away water. Where they belong:

Put away salt. Where they belong:

Put away sand. Where they belong:

Put away measuring spoon. Where they belong:

Put away spoon. Where they belong:

Put away mixing bowl. Where they belong:

Put away measuring cup (dry). Where they belong:

Put away measuring cup (liquid). Where they belong:
Update what we have left

Did we run out of anything while making this project? Update our supply cupboard so that we know exactly what we have for next time.

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4
Save

Your creative buddy says:

"Way to stick with it!"

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About the Author

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More projects by this author

Sand Play Dough Recipe - Beach Sensory Activity for Kids

About This Project

Project Tags

Find Supplies

Make Sand Play Dough

Step 1: Gather ingredients

Step 2: Mix the dry ingredients

Step 3: Add wet ingredients

Step 4: Knead the dough

Step 5: What will you make with your dough?

Clean up

Tidy up our space

Put away our supplies

Update what we have left

Save

More projects you might like

Use what’s already at home

About the Author

GlueStick