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!
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 only until 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!
Kinetic sand is a great boredom buster for kids when it’s rainy or too hot to play outside. It’s also a fun way to work on fine motor skills and strengthening little hands!
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 — you can also use colorful craft sand
- 1 1/2 cups corn starch — if you’re outside of the US it may be called corn flour
- 1/2 cup light-colored oil — such as vegetable oil, olive oil or baby oil
Helpful Supplies
- Large Mixing Bowl
- Plastic Play Trays for Playdough, Slime, etc.
- Cookie cutters and small plastic sand castle molds, shovels, etc.
Instructions
- Add play sand to a large bowl.
- Add cornstarch and whisk together to combine.
- Pour in the olive oil slowly, stir as you pour.
- When the mixture gets too difficult to mix with a spoon or spatula, finish kneading together by hand.
Simple as that!
You can find a printable copy of the directions to make kinetic sand at the bottom of the blog post. The is also a video demo available in the recipe card.
Prep Tips
- Yield – The above recipe 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). In the photos that show three colors of kinetic sand in one tray, we halved the original recipe to make each color.
- Play Ideas – Kinetic sand is moldable, so you can incorporate small beach toys such as shovels and sand castle molds. The sand will keep its shape until you smush it again!
- Customize – Try mixing two colors of sand together to make colorful kinetic sand in a tie-dye effect! You can also add glitter to your kinetic sand so it sparkles.
- Safety Notes – Kinetic sand is not edible; do not taste. Always supervise small children and toddlers when playing. Wash hands before and after play.
- Make Slime – If you love kinetic sand, be sure to try our kinetic sand slime (pictured below). 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!
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 airtight 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.
More Sensory Play Activities
- Bubble Wrap Stomp Painting
- Edible Slime Recipes Made With Kitchen Ingredients
- Halloween Sensory Bottles
- Falling Leaves Sensory Jar (Fall Snow Globe)
- How to Make Slime
- DIY Bath Crayons
- Edible Cool Whip Paint
Homemade Kinetic Sand Recipe (Printable Copy)
Homemade Kinetic Sand with 3 Ingredients
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 play sand to a large bowl.
- Add cornstarch and stir 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.
Video
Pin our DIY Kinetic Sand Recipe on Pinterest:
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