The Soccer Mom Blog logo

The Soccer Mom Blog

  • Family
    • Easy DIY & Craft Ideas
    • For The Home
    • Holiday Fun for Families
    • Houston Events for Kids & Family
    • Parenting Tips
    • Saving Money
    • Travel
  • Food
  • For Moms
    • Beauty Tips for Moms
    • Fitness & Healthy Lifestyle
    • Motherhood
    • Pregnancy & Breastfeeding
  • Kids Activities
    • Kids Activities and Crafts
    • How to Make Slime
    • Edible Slime
    • All Slime Recipes
  • Start a Blog
  • Work With Me
  • About
    • About Me
    • What’s New
  • SHOP
  • Privacy
Home » Kids Activities » Kids Crafts » DIY Kinetic Sand

July 14, 2022 · Leave a Comment

DIY Kinetic Sand

Kids Activities· Kids Crafts

Jump to Recipe Print Recipe

How to make homemade kinetic sand — soft and moldable play sand that sticks to itself, not hands! Only 3 ingredients for hours of sensory play!

tray of bright blue homemade kinetic sand

What is Kinetic Sand?

Kinetic sand is a cool cross between slime and play dough, with a grainy texture. It’s unlike anything else on earth!

What makes kinetic sand so special? Unlike dry beach sand that just flows right through your fingers, kinetic sand is a moldable sand. You can use a mold to form shapes and structures with the sand! However, unlike wet beach sand, which will hold its shape indefinitely as it dries, kinetic sand slowly morphs like slime, and will pile back up.

Kinetic Sand is one of my girls favorite sensory activities, but it can be a bit pricey! If you’re looking to make your own kinetic sand recipe, we’ve done the experimenting for you to find the perfect recipe!

I’ve seen other versions of homemade kinetic sand that use dish soap as the mixer/binding agent. However, I didn’t think the consistency or texture felt like kinetic sand at all. It just felt like wet sand!

After a bit of trial and error, we found what I think is the best DIY kinetic sand recipe! It’s soft and moldable and easy to make with only 3 simple ingredients!

toddler's hands playing with sensory sand

Ingredients

For your convenience in creating this recipe, we’ve included shop-able ad links to some of the products used; disclosure policy available here.

  • 2 1/2 cups colored play sand or Craft sand
  • 1 1/2 cups corn starch (if you’re outside of the US, it may be called corn flour)
  • 1/2 cup olive oil or similar light-colored oil

This yields a big batch that can fill up a play tray. It’s also enough to divide so multiple kids can play! It should be enough for 2-3 kids (each getting about a cup).

Helpful Supplies

  • Mixing Bowls
  • Plastic Play Trays for Playdough, Slime, etc.
  • Cookie cutters and small plastic sand castle molds, shovels, etc.

homemade kinetic sand ingredients, with text labels

Instructions

  1. Add cornstarch and play sand to your mixing bowl and stir together to combine.
  2. Pour in the olive oil slowly, mixing as you pour. When the sand gets too difficult to mix with a spoon or spatula, finish kneading together by hand.

Simple as that!

2 step photo collage showing how to make homemade kinetic sand

TIP: If you love kinetic sand, be sure to try our kinetic sand slime! This easy sand slime recipe adds glue and liquid starch to the mix for an extra stretchy sensory experience that feels like a cross between slime and kinetic sand!

little girl playing with blue kinetic sand slime

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the Secret Ingredient in Kinetic Sand?

According to American Chemical Society Member Rick Sachleben, kinetic sand is simply regular sand that has been coated in a silicone oil. This causes the sand particles to stick to each other, but not other surfaces like hands or a table.

Because we’re making our copycat kinetic sand at home and not in a science lab, we don’t have access to the same chemicals that the original makers of kinetic sand did. We used household items that would have a similar effect though!

How Long Does Homemade Kinetic Sand Last?

One of the really neat things about kinetic sand is that it does not dry out! The oil coating keeps the sand moist and malleable.

Regardless, I recommend storing your kinetic sand in a plastic bag or air-tight container to prevent dirt and dust from getting into it. I also recommend washing hands before playing to keep the kinetic sand cleaner longer.

Does Kinetic Sand Stain Hands?

We used colorful play sand so there was no need to mess with food coloring and I find that it is pretty colorfast. This could depend on the brand used though. To be safe, we always play on a plastic tray and wash hands right afterward. However, if you’re looking to avoid dyes altogether you can make your kinetic sand with regular brown play sand.

Are Kinetic Sand and Moon Sand the Same Thing?

Kinetic sand and moon sand are similar in that they are both a sensory sand activity for kids. However, since moon sand is not made with oil, it is more fluffy and crumbly in texture.

child playing with blue play sand

Safety Tips

  • Kinetic sand is not edible. Do not taste.
  • Always supervise small children and toddlers when playing.
  • Wash hands before and after play.

little hand molding kinetic sand with a plastic castle

Our Best Playdough Recipes in One Place!

NEW!! Now you can get all of our most popular homemade play dough recipes in one convenient printable ebook!

homemade play dough recipe ebook

In our homemade play dough recipe book, you’ll find everything from seasonal play dough, to edible play dough made with taste-safe ingredients.

There are 10 unique play dough recipes that you can make with simple ingredients you probably already have at home!

  • Click here to get the Homemade Play Dough Recipe bundle! (Pssst…Save 20% on your first order with code 20NEW at checkout!)

Kinetic Sand Recipe (Printable Copy)

tray of bright blue homemade kinetic sand
Print Recipe
5 from 1 vote

Homemade Kinetic Sand with 3 Ingredients

How to make homemade kinetic sand — soft and moldable play sand that sticks to itself, not hands! Only 3 ingredients for hours of sensory play!
Prep Time5 mins
Total Time5 mins
Keyword: kinetic sand, sensory play
Servings: 3 cups
Author: Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Cost: $10

Equipment

  • 1 Large Mixing Bowl

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups colored play sand
  • 1 1/2 cups cornstarch
  • 1/2 cup olive oil or similar light-colored oil

Instructions

  • Add cornstarch and play sand to a large bowl and whisk together to mix.
  • Pour in the olive oil slowly, mixing as you pour. When the sand gets too difficult to mix with a spoon or spatula, finish kneading together by hand.
    2 step photo collage showing how to make homemade kinetic sand

Pin our DIY Kinetic Sand Recipe on Pinterest:

2 photo vertical collage showing kinetic sand ingredients and finished product

You might also like:

balls of playdough arranged in a rainbow, next to packets of Kool Aid

Kool-Aid Play Dough

  • Author
  • Recent Posts
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Stacey is the creator of The Soccer Mom Blog, a Houston Texas mom blog that focuses on positive living for women and families. She loves to share real food recipes, money-saving tips, parenting encouragement, kids activities, DIY tutorials, home hacks, fitness, and so much more! To get to know Stacey even better, click here.
Stacey aka the Soccer Mom
Latest posts by Stacey aka the Soccer Mom (see all)
  • DIY Everything Bagel Seasoning - January 31, 2023
  • Dill Pickle Roll-Ups - January 27, 2023
  • Homemade Oatmeal Creme Pies - January 26, 2023

Share this post:

  • Share
  • Tweet
  • Email
Previous Post: « Air Fryer Chicken Pot Pies
Next Post: Orange Margarita Truffles »

Reader Interactions

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Recipe Rating




Primary Sidebar


Hi there, my name is Stacey and I'm so glad you're here! I created this site to be a positive resource for moms and families. If it's your first time, I recommend that you click HERE to see what The Soccer Mom Blog is all about!
email facebook Pinterest Instagram twitter

Search the Blog:

Footer

Posts You Might Like

  • homemade ant killer
  • edible slime
  • how to make slime with contact solution
  • hair tourniquet

Popular Posts

  • Edible Pudding Slime – Only 3 Ingredients!
  • Homemade Dog Treats
  • “Love You to Pieces” DIY Valentine Wreath
  • Copy Cat Nutter Butter Recipe

The Soccer Mom Blog

  • About Me
  • Work With Me
  • Shop
  • Disclosure

The Soccer Mom Blog is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.

Love the fonts you see? I found some of them here and you can too!

Copyright © 2023 · The Soccer Mom Blog · Design by Monique B Designs

22 shares