Moon Sand

Young kids like to play in sand.
Sand is messy.
Water makes sand stick together and makes it even more fun.
Water with sand is even more messy.

Here is the answer I came up with last summer.

I bought moon sand. Moon sand sticks together like wet sand, yet it never dries out. It comes in pretty colors (which are impossible to separate once mixed). The moon sand also comes with assorted molds to make things like castle walls, roads, and people. Unfortunately, each packet contains a ridiculously small amount of sand, so I also got an extra 7.5lb bucket of red, blue, and white moon sand, which quickly ended up a dingy purple color.

However, even the large bucket of moon sand comes with a ridiculously small inflatable tray to hold the sand. So, I got a "Sand and Water Cart" by Step2. I really like this cart because it has wheels so I can easily drag it in and out of the garage. It also has a little umbrella to offer shade in the hot summer days. It is big enough that four kids have been able to play at it, yet small enough to move and store relatively easily.


The result?
We actually play with the moon sand. I just open the garage door, pull out the cart and remove the lid. (There isn't enough room around the cart to play in the garage.) Kids happily play in moon sand, digging and building. Every now and then I remind the kids to keep the sand in the cart. When it's time to stop, I put the lid on the cart and pull it into the garage. Kids brush off their hands or wash them.




Both Glitter and Sparkle love playing with moon sand. For Christmas, Glitter got the "Treasure Kingdom" kit, which nicely complements the "Princess Castle" kit that we already had.