How to Make Moon Sand

Your little astronaut may be a few years away from blasting into space and visiting the moon. But in the meantime, why not make some moon sand for them to play with at home?

Your child will enjoy hours of fun playing with their creation. Moon sand for kids works great for building sandcastles, providing a backdrop for action figures to play, fashioning fun shapes and so many more creative opportunities. Learn how to make DIY moon sand with your child below.

First, gather all the ingredients you need for this activity:

We used rough measurements, and you may adjust them to get the desired substance. Some kids prefer tighter-packed sand, while others like their sand looser.

Gather all the ingredients and mix them in a large bowl or plastic box. The consistency should feel soft and moldable, so your child can scoop it into different shapes that will stay together after sculpting.

To turn your moon sand into rainbow colors, portion it into four batches. Add a different shade of food coloring to each batch, then let your kids have a blast mixing and matching the colors while they play.

Don’t have any actual sand at home? You can also make moon sand out of other ingredients. Try these alternative methods:

Once you have assembled the moon sand, fun time begins. Your child will love exploring how moon sand works and making observations that will help them learn more about science, even though they think they’re just playing. Here are three fun ideas for different age groups.

Ask your child to describe the way the moon sand feels. Is it hard, soft or somewhere in the middle? Does it fall through their fingers easily or clump up? Can they build a wall with it, or does the wall crumble? Invite them to make other observations about the sand as you play together.

Give your child cookie cutters so they can use them to make fun shapes. Try introducing variables to the experience. What happens when they try to add more sand to the form they are creating? Does the sand hold its shape, or does it start to collapse? How long does the sand stay in place when they stack it higher?

Add toys to the mix, and invite your child to use their imagination. If you have action figures, send them to the “moon.” What would the surface of the moon look like? Has your child learned about it at school? Maybe you can add some rocks or seashells to the sand to give it a more rugged look. Discuss astronauts who have been to the moon. Pull up pictures on your phone and try to replicate the look.