Rainbow Kinetic Sand

Rainbow Kinetic Sand is a fun activity for kids of all ages. This tutorial will show you how to make homemade kinetic sand with just 3 items!

Jump to:

• Materials
• Instructions
• Variations
• Storage
• More Fun Sensory Ideas
• Rainbow and St. Patrick's Day Ideas

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While you can purchase small kinetic sand kits online, I prefer making my own using colored play sand. I'll share my easy recipe to make your own at home. Homemade kinetic sand is a cinch and you can make it any or all the colors of the rainbow!

I get my colored play sand online and you can sometimes find it in big box hardware stores also. It's easy to work with and you don't have to worry about food coloring or anything like that.

My kids have been obsessed with kinetic sand since they were young toddlers. There's something quite satisfying about the soft sand and the way you can press it into different shapes.

Kinetic sand is a great way for kids to work on their fine motor skills. Using all sorts of different tools and molds, the kids love making colorful castles and other designs. Like homemade playdough, kinetic sand really lends itself to all sorts of creative possibilities.

Materials

• 1 cup of play sand in each color
• 2 cups cornstarch
• ½ cup olive oil

You will need 6 small bowls to mix each of the sand colors and a spoon. Brush the spoon off completely between mixing batches.

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Instructions

1. In each of the 6 bowls, add one cup of play sand - one color per bowl.
2. Next, add ⅓ cup of cornstarch to each bowl of sand, and stir until completely combined.
3. Add 4 teaspoons of olive oil to each bowl, then stir well to combine.

Now your rainbow sand is ready! You can add the colors to a cake pan or baking sheet in a line to create a rainbow.

Small containers of kinetic sand are perfect gifts and are great for stockings, Easter baskets, party favors, and more.

Play tools for play dough and kinetic sand

Kinetic sand kits often come with squisher stamps, sand portioner, stacker mold, and a kid-friendly slicer but you can find other options online, at the dollar store, and in your own kitchen.

My nieces use measuring spoons, little plastic cups, and cookie cutters.

We also love this set of play dough tools with extruders, rollers, and cutters. Most of these tools also work great for kinetic sand play. Other kids like this one with mini sand castle molds and sculpting tools work great with molding sand, too.

Variations

If your kids love sensory play, add a few drops of essential oils to the colored kinetic sand. You can add the same to each one, or different scents for each color.

Storage

After you make kinetic sand, you want to keep in an airtight container. (These are my favorite airtight containers). Small containers for each color are best.

More Fun Sensory Ideas

• Homemade Oobleck
• Jello Slime
• Homemade Playdough
• Sparkle Playdough
• Mermaid Slime (no borax!)

Rainbow and St. Patrick's Day Ideas

• St. Patrick's Day Printable Poem
• Minty St Patrick's Day Chocolate Bark
• 25+ Rainbow Snacks
• Lucky Charms Chex Mix
• St. Patrick's Day Activities for Kids
• Rainbow Bath Salts
• Rainbow Activities for Kids