If you’re looking for something a little different to try over the summer holidays, this sand play dough recipe is no-cook, super soft, and made with real sand. Grab some sand from your child’s sandbox (or from your latest beach trip) and use it to make this super squishy dough for your little one to play with!
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This simple sand dough recipe is a fun one! It just as elastic as regular play dough, but the sand gives it a grainy textural element that is unlike any of the other play dough recipes we’ve tried.
Use it to build and decorate a miniature sand castle (that won’t collapse), to build a desert or beach scene, or to create cool imprints using seashells and rocks. There are so many fun things you can do with homemade play dough!
P.S. Have leftover sand? Try using it to make this Beach Moon Sand and this DIY Sand Clay Keepsake.
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Fun texture: This play dough is as soft and stretchy as regular play dough, but the sand adds a gritty textural element that gives it a really unique feel.
- No-cook: I’m normally a big fan of cooking play dough on the stovetop, but I made this one no-cook to prevent the small rocks in the sand from damaging your cookware. Since there is no cooking involved, you can even get your kiddos to help! (If you’re looking for more ideas, this Cloud Dough Recipe and this Foam Dough Recipe are also no-cook.)
- Great for summer: This recipe contains actual sand, which means you can make it extra-special by incorporating sand from your latest trip to the beach. (Don’t worry—you can use regular play sand too, instead if that’s what you have.) It is the ultimate open-ended summer activity, and it’s great for helping little ones practice their fine motor skills!
Important Note
Because it contains real sand, this play dough recipe is not taste-safe and is meant for preschool age and up. If you have a young child at home who still likes to put everything in their mouth, try one of these Edible Play Dough Recipes instead.
Required Ingredients
- Flour: Regular all-purpose flour will do. Since this recipe is not taste-safe, you won’t need to heat treat the flour first, and can use it straight out of the bag.
- Sand: If you are planning a family trip to the beach, you can collect some beach sand while you’re there and save it for this recipe. If not, regular sand from a sandbox is fine. I bought a big bag of play sand from the hardware store and set some aside before I poured it into their sandbox, which kept it free of bugs and leaves. (I don’t recommend using craft sand for this project, even if you already have some at home.)
- Salt: Nothing fancy—regular table salt is fine.
- Cream of tartar: This helps preserve the play dough and make it more elastic. We make a lot of play dough, so we like to buy our cream of tartar in bulk to save money.
- Oil: Any type of oil will do, including vegetable oil, olive oil or melted coconut oil. I usually use vegetable oil because it’s cheaper. Since this play dough recipe isn’t taste-safe, you can even use baby oil in a pinch (but keep in mind that it’s scented).
- Boiling water: Boil some tap water in a kettle, on the stovetop or in a microwave before you start making the play dough. The fact that the water is so hot is what allows us to skip the cooking in this recipe!
The full ingredient list, quantities and instructions can be found in the recipe card.
How to Make Sand Play Dough (Step-by-Step)
Step 1: Combine dry ingredients. Pour the flour, sand, salt and cream of tartar into a large heatproof bowl and stir them together with a spoon.
Step 2: Add oil and water. Once the dry ingredients have been combined, pour the oil and boiling water into the bowl.
Step 3: Combine with a spoon. Use a wooden spoon to stir the water and oil into the dry ingredients, combining them as thoroughly as you can.
Step 4: Knead until smooth. Once you’ve gotten as far as you can with the spoon, finish kneading with your hands until the dough feels super stretchy and smooth (with a bit of grit from the sand).
I added some seashells because I felt like it was appropriate for the beach theme, but you can add anything you happen to have on hand, like glass gems, sea glass shards or other loose parts. . My kids had so much fun with this activity!
Helpful Tips
- Sift the sand: To prevent the texture from feeling too gritty, you can use a colander or strainer to sift the sand and remove large rocks or debris before you add it to the dry ingredients. (Skip this step if you don’t mind a grainier texture.)
- Mind the temperature: If the mixture feels too hot after you’ve added the boiling water, let it cool at room temperature for a few minutes before kneading. Just make sure you don’t wait too long, and don’t place it in the fridge or freezer to speed things up, as this will cause it to lose its elasticity.
- Adjust the texture: Play dough feeling a little stiff? To make it super stretchy, try wetting your hands and kneading it some more, repeating as needed until you’re happy with the texture. You can also add a little bit of water straight to the dough, but a little goes a long way. If you add too much, work in a little more flour with yours hands to get rid of the stickiness.
- Keep it no-cook: If you prefer stovetop play dough recipes and you want to try modifying the amount of water and cooking the dough on the stovetop, I strongly advise against doing it with this particular recipe. Any small rocks left in the sand will likely ruin your cookware, especially if it’s teflon/nonstick.
P.S. Does your child love sensory play? Check out this Taste-Safe Kinetic Sand, this Farm Animal Sensory Bin or these 2-Ingredient Sensory Recipes!
Storage Instructions
To store this play dough after your child is done playing, place it in a sealed zip-top bag with all the air removed and keep it at room temperature.
Frequently Asked Questions
Have a question that wasn’t answered here? Let me know in the comments and I’ll be happy to help!
More Summer Activities for Kids
If you have tried this Sand Play Dough or any other recipe on my website, please let me know how it went in the comments below. I can’t wait to hear from you!
Sand Play Dough
Ingredients
- 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- ¾ cup play sand or beach sand
- ½ cup salt
- 4 tsp cream of tartar
- ¾ cup + 1 tbsp boiling water
- 2 tbsp oil (vegetable, coconut, etc.)
Instructions
- Pour the flour, sand, salt and cream of tartar into a large heatproof bowl, and stir them together with a spoon.
- Add the oil and boiling water, and use a wooden spoon to stir them into the dry ingredients, combining them as thoroughly as you can.
- Once you’ve gotten as far as you can with the spoon, finish kneading with your hands until the dough feels super stretchy and smooth. (It will feel a bit grainy from the sand, but as long as it is soft and stretchy, a bit of graininess is normal.)
Video
Notes
- Sift the sand: For a not-too-grainy texture, use a colander or strainer to sift the sand and remove large rocks or debris.
- Mind the temperature: If the mixture feels too hot after the boiling water has been added, let it cool at room temperature for a few minutes before kneading. Don’t place it in the fridge or freezer to speed things up, as this will cause the dough to lose its elasticity.
- Keep it no-cook: Don’t try to make this recipe on the stovetop—the small rocks present in the sand will likely damage your cookware.
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