Playing with kinetic sand is a fantastic sensory activity for young kids. They can mold it into shapes and objects, hide things in it or just simply play with it in their hands which also helps to develop their fine motor skills.
I was trying to find the perfect kinetic sand recipe and tried many that I found on the internet. I wanted one that was just like the shop bought kinetic sand, that molds well and is stretchy.
It seemed like all the stretchy kinetic sand recipes required Sta-Flo and as I’m in the UK, I was not able to get this ingredient easily.
So what’s the secret to making kinetic sand that’s stretchy?
By now, I have made lots of different types of kinetic sand and found that the secret to making stretchy kinetic sand is to mix slime with sand. The slime is what gives sand the stretchiness and helps it to stay moist and hold its form.
Glue is used to make slime which is what you will first need before being able to make stretchy kinetic sand that’s just like the ones from the shop.
This recipe does not require Sta-Flo which can be quite hard to come by here in the UK and some other countries. Plus, the ingredients for this recipe are much cheaper than buying the kinetic sand you find in the shops.
Ingredients for this kinetic sand recipe with glue:
- Elmer’s School Glue (3 tbs)
- Elmer’s Magical Liquid (standard sized bottle – you will only require a little bit of this)
- 1 tsp dish soap
- 2 tsp water
- 1 tbs cornstarch
- A bag of fine sand (no more than a few hundred grams will do)
- Food colouring (optional)
You will also need:
- A bowl
- A spoon
- Food colouring (optional)
the method to create this stretchy kinetic sand:
- Add the Elmer’s School Glue into a bowl. Shake the bottle of Magical Liquid well then add a little bit into the glue and stir.
- Keep adding a little bit of the Magical Liquid and stir it until your slime begins to form together and peels away from the bowl. You want the slime to be a little sticky but not sticking to everything.
- Now it’s time to take the slime out of the bowl and knead it by pressing your fingers into it for a couple of minutes.
- If your slime is still very sticky (bare in mind that it should be a little sticky anyway), you can put it back in the bowl, shake the Magical Liquid and add a little more then repeat the process of mixing and kneading it. And if your slime is not sticky at all then you need to add more of the glue.
- Once your slime is just right, take a small amount (about the size of a golf ball – see image below) and put it in the bowl.
- Now you will need to add the dish soap, cornstarch and water to the bowl and stir the ingredients into the slime with a spoon. This will make your slime a lot more sticky.
- Now you can start adding the sand bit by bit into the bowl, stirring it so it’s mixed well. Eventually, your slime will become less sticky so you can pick it up with your spoon (like the image below).
- You now need to take the mixture with your hands, fold more sand in with it until it becomes less gooey and is able to form into shapes.
- If you want more of a kinetic sand slime (such as the image below) rather than the usual kinetic sand, you just need to add less sand or a little more slime (you only need a little bit more slime).
And that’s it, your sand is ready to play with!
Your kinetic sand should feel a little moist and be able to mold into shapes easily. If you pull it, it will stretch but won’t be as stretchy as slime.
Make sure to wash your hands after making this kinetic sand and wash your little ones hands after they play with it.
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How to store your kinetic sand to keep it fresh
You can keep your kinetic sand in a ziploc bag or a plastic container with a lid on which will stop dust getting on it.
Let me know how you get on with this kinetic sand recipe with glue. Leave me a comment below and feel free to share it with other’s who may enjoy making their own stretchy kinetic sand.
