It’s squishy, it’s crumbly, and it crunches like a tiny bean bag when you squeeze it tight. You can mold with it, or you can smash it to smithereens. Although we’re big fanshomemadeplay dougharound here,moon sandis a totally differentsensory experience.
My kids love it, and I love that we can make it together in less than 10 minutes. You guys, TEN MINUTES . . . and that’s if they help.
So, what is moon sand?
Also sometimes calledcloud dough, it’s smooshy andmoldablelike wet sand, yet crumbly like dry sand. It crunches like a bean bag when you squeeze it, and can be molded and smashed to smithereens. Kids love it, and parents do too becausesensory playhelps build nerve connections in the brain, encourages the development of motor skills, and can be helpful for calming an anxious or frustrated child. (1) (2)
Although manyhomemademoon sandrecipescall forbaby oilandtempera paintfor coloring, I prefer to usecoconut oiland natural sources of coloring. Not only does it make themoon sandcompletely food grade and non-toxic, using clear coconut makes the final product easy to tint with naturalfood coloring. (Also, if you’re looking for other super easy ediblesensory playactivities, check out this easyhomemade edible finger paint.)
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Moon Sand Recipe
It's squishy yet crumbly, and you can mold with it or smash it to smithereens. Kids love it, and you probably already have the necessary ingredients on hand. Here'show to makemoon sand.
Prep Time 5 minutes minutes
Cook Time 5 minutes minutes
Total Time 10 minutes minutes
Calories
Author Heather Dessinger
Equipment
medium / large bowl
measuring spoons
fork
Quart-sized mason jar (or any glass jar) with a lid
Ingredients
- 4 cups cornstarch or arrowroot powder (where to buy non-GMO cornstarch and where to buy arrowroot powder)
- 1 cup coconut oil (Another oil such as olive or avocado will work, but it may slightly change the color of themoon sandfrom white to light yellow.)
- food coloringor powdered fruits and veggies likebeetroot powderorspirulina (See #4 in the instructions for details)
- essential oils (optional – see FAQ section for suggestions)
Instructions
Add arrowroot powder or cornstarch to a medium/large bowl.
If you’re usingfood coloring, now is the time to add it to yourcoconut oil. We added a teaspoon. The dye won’t fully mix with the oil, but I’ve found that whisking with a fork does help the color distribute more evenly, and once you combine the oil with the flour the dye will mix in.
Add thecoconut oilto the cornstarch/arrowroot powder and mix everything together. We started with a fork and then finished up with our fingers.
When ourmoon sandwas fully mixed the color was still pretty light. For naturalfood coloringI likeIndia Tree, but I didn’t want to use my entire stash so I started trying to think of a way to adapt mynatural Easter egg dye recipes.
I’d succeeded once before withnaturally coloredhomemadeplay dough, but because this is an oil-based recipe I didn’t want to include a water-based dye. To may my own dye, I grabbed somenon-gmo glycerinand a few blueberries, then tossed them in a pan to simmer over low heat for a few minutes.
Once the glycerin reached a deep ruby color, I strained out the blueberries and then mixed in the glycerin until the color reached the intensity I wanted. Another option mentioned by a reader is to use dried, powdered fruits and veggies. She tinted hers with spirulina powder and it made a beautiful green-blue color.
Tap image to expand view.
Storage
Ourmoon sandhas been placed in aglass storage jaruntil it’s needed again. I’m thinking I’ll pull it out the next time the potami are waiting not-so-patiently for dinner to be ready. 🙂
Notes
Tried this recipe?
Mention @mommypotamus or tag #mommypotamus!
Tips for Playing With Moon Sand
Though it’s not gritty likebeach sand, it can make a mess. I rolled out some paper on the kitchen table then dumped the sand on top. The kids loved it and cleanup was easy. Another option would be to put it in a shallow tray or have the kids play with it on a porch.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I addessential oils?
Yep. If you’d like you can add up to 48 drops of achild-safeessential oillikelavender,sweet orange,spearmintorcedarwoodto the oil before mixing it with the cornstarch/arrowroot flour.
Does this leave hands feeling oily at all?
Nope! It leaves behind a thin layer of silky powder that washes off easily. If you play with it for awhile it might moisturize your hands, but it won’t leave them feeling greasy.
How long does thismoon sand last?
This recipe does best if stored in anair tight container
between uses. It basically shelf stable but just like sandbox sand it’s probably a good idea to replace every once in awhile.
How does this compare tokinetic sand?
Kinetic sand is made with actualplay sand, so it’s a different texture. I’d saykinetic sand is a little easier to buildsandcastles with, butmoon sand is much more affordable and works too!
Can I usevegetable oilinstead ofcoconut oil?
Yes, any kind of oil will work.
Want more kids activity ideas?
Here are 50+kids activitiesthat encourage creativity.
Sources:
1.Exploring The Benefits ofSensory Play
2.WhySensory Playis Important for Development
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About HEATHER
Heather is a holistic health educator, herbalist, DIYer, Lyme and mold warrior. Since founding Mommypotamus.com in 2009, Heather has been taking complicated health research and making it easy to understand. She shares tested natural recipes and herbal remedies with millions of naturally minded mamas around the world.
