How to Make Homemade Super Sand (Cheap & Easy!)

First a secret. We’re going to use salt instead of sand to make our super easy, super cheap super sand.

Yeah, I know. We’re rule breakers. It’s the way we roll. It’s also the way kids learn best–by playing with the ‘rules’ or ‘instructions’ and making things their own way.

Hang on… here we go!

Super Sand Instructions

You’ll need a pile of salt. And a bunch of food colouring. Also a spoon and a plastic bag. One bag per colour.

That’s right. We’re measuring with care like we’re sending a shuttle to the moon.

All righty. Space-folks. For every tablespoon of salt you will need about 1-2 drops of food colouring. The brighter the colour, the more food colouring. Funny how that works.

Mix colours. Go wild.

Oh, but first, take the salt out of the shaker and dump it into the plastic bag. Add food colouring. Stir with a spoon, or simply shake the bag. (Make sure you close it first.)

Let it dry for a day or two.

Now for the fun part.

Eat it.

Play with it.

Run it between your fingers and say “ooooooh… ahhhhhh.”

Arrange it in a container.

In the above photo, coloured salt (super sand!) was layered into the baby jar–right up to the top! Then with a toothpick, my daughter poked the sand making the cool downward bits.

When you are satisfied with the look, screw the lid on the jar and tie or glue ribbon around the top to make it look lovely and glam!

OR: Make a picture! Spread glue on a piece of paper or thin cardboard. Apply different coloured super sand to different parts of the glue to make a picture. Lovely! Shall we frame it?

You know what? I think this would make a lovely homemade gift or birthday party favour. What do you say?

Have you made super sand? What are your recipe secrets? What do you like to do with it?

Want to shout about it? Tweet this: I found a super easy, super cheap, super sand recipe for my kids!

To make the cover shown, cut out a piece of crafting foam that is the same size as your cover. Then, cut out the rectangular hole for the switch. One easy way to get the right size and shape is to have an adult remove the cover from the wall and trace the shape and switch hole onto the foam.

Cut out the foam and decorate it with other foam shapes.

Stick your new cover on your old cover using tape (or if you are allowed, use glue).

Variations: You can also make a cover using cardstock (thin cardboard) instead of foam. Glue buttons, sparkles, sequins, ribbon, pictures, or draw or paint on your cover. (Or try it all!) Use your imagination and you can’t go wrong!

Make this a family activity: Everyone can make one for each room of the house.

This activity promotes creativity.

Tie dye instructions:
Find an item of clothing (something white is best) that is okay to dye a different colour. If your item is brand new, wash and dry your item.

Tie strips of cloth/rubber bands/thick string around the item you are dying. Where you tie the strips the dye can’t colour and it will remain the original colour. Make sure the ties are very tight so dye doesn’t seep underneath them.

Have an adult mix your dye according to the package directions. If you mix the dye in a large bucket you can dip your item into the dye. Make sure you wear old clothes, rubber gloves (so you don’t dye your hands) and cover your work area with plastic or newspaper.

After dipping the item in the dye a few times, rinse it really well in cold water and then again in warm water. Afterwards, you can take your ties off and admire your new tie-dyed item. (Lay it flat to dry.)

Make this a family activity: Tie dye something for everyone.

This activity promotes an awareness of textiles, the dying process and a bit of chemistry too.

1. First, make sure your recipe’s dry ingredients will fit in the jar you have chosen. To do that, use your math skills. Add (on paper) up all the dry ingredients (flour, sugar, chocolate chips, etc.–NOT eggs, butter, etc.). What does it add up to? Swap it for water. So, if you have 3 cups of dry ingredients, pour 3 cups of water into your jar. If it fits, your dry ingredients will fit.

2. Layer the ingredients into the jar like in the picture above.

3. Put on the lid as well as some ribbon–to pretty it up.

4. Add a tag with baking instructions. Do they need to add an egg, vanilla and butter? Write that on the tag. All they will need to do is add the wet ingredients to your jar’s mix and they will be ready to bake cookies!

Hint: If you don’t have large sealer jars, you might be able to find some at a second hand store. Make sure you wash them before adding your ingredients.

Make this a family activity: Get help from your parents to make up these gift jars.

This activity promotes math skills.

You will need: a white paper coffee filter, washable markers, a black pipe cleaner, scissors, spray bottle that can mist water, and two pieces of paper towel.

1. Cut your pipe cleaner in half (you need a piece about 4-5 inches long). Set it aside.

2. Colour the filter with the markers. You don’t need to cover the whole filter with colour.

3. Hold the coloured filter over the paper towel (to catch any drips that might happen) and mist the filter with water (using the spray bottle). Make sure you get the whole filter wet (but not soaked). The marker’s colour should be a bit runny.

4. Make one twist in the middle of the filter to make two wings. (See above photo.) Wrap your pipe cleaner around the middle of your filter (the twist), leaving the two ends sticking up to make antennas.

5. Lay the butterfly flat on a dry piece of paper towel. In about an hour, it should be dry.

Variations: Glue a magnet to the back of the butterfly to make it a magnet.

Make this a family activity: Get everyone to make a butterfly. Hang them on a piece of fishing line and you have a butterfly family decoration.

This activity promotes colour mixing knowledge.