Buying guide for Best sand art kits
Crafts are great tools for engaging kids and encouraging them to explore their creativity and talents. However, many kits can be messy or have a learning curve that prevents you from achieving satisfactory results until you reach a certain level of skill. A sand art kit is a fun, relatively mess-free craft that allows your child to get great results from their very first project. Also, it’s an affordable activity that you can enjoy either alone or with friends.
Good sand art kits provide an ample amount of supplies so your child can have the freedom to explore their creativity. There should also be enough sand and materials to give your child the opportunity to make a variety of different projects.
Key considerations
Types
When you hear the words “sand art,” chances are one of two crafts come to mind: sand bottles or sand painting.
Sand bottles: This type of kit includes a variety of sand and small plastic bottles with lids. The crafter uses a funnel to gradually fill the plastic bottles with multiple layers of different colors of sand. As the sand fills the bottle, wavy patterns are formed, creating beautiful artwork inside the bottle. When the bottle is completely full, a lid seals the sand inside, making a permanent and unique work of art. This type of kit allows for maximum creativity, giving the crafter full control of every aspect of the design and color choice.
Sand painting: With the typical sand painting kit, a tacky board is covered with peelable material. This material is precut into various intricate shapes. When a piece of the material is removed, sand can be sprinkled on the tacky surface; the process is similar to coloring by number. When all the peelable material has been removed and filled with sand, the crafter will have created a picture “painted” using sand. This type of kit can require a little more patience and can be a bit messier. Additionally, younger children might need help removing the peelable material, especially the smaller pieces.
Did You Know?
It’s important when doing any type of sand art to make sure the sand is completely dry before beginning. If the sand is damp, you can either set it in the sun or bake it in the oven at a low temperature (200°F to 250°F) until dry.
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Features
Sand
Colors: The more colors of sand there are in a sand art kit, the more room a child has to explore their creativity. Look for a kit with either a wide range of colors or one that features a color scheme that is appealing to your child.
Quantity: A little sand will inevitably be lost when it is poured. If you select a kit that has only a minimal amount of sand, your child might not have enough to finish all the projects the way they like. Look for a sand art kit that doesn’t skimp on the sand.
Special types: Some sand art kits offer special types of sand. Usually this sand is infused with glitter or glows in the dark. If this is desirable, look for a kit with this feature.
Containers: Many sand art kits contain small plastic bags filled with sand. Once these bags are torn open, it’s nearly impossible to contain the sand. Some manufacturers package the sand in resealable containers. This is the ideal option because it produces the least waste.
Bottles
The bottles in some sand art kits are fairly basic, which is fine: the creativity is in the way they’re filled. However, if you’d like a little extra pizzazz, look for a kit with a wide variety of bottle shapes. These bottles can range from simple hearts and stars to more complex shapes like rockets or seashells. Additionally, some kits include smaller fillable shapes that can be worn as jewelry.
Projects
While it’s possible to get a sand art kit that only includes one or two projects, you probably want a kit that allows your child to create a number of projects. This not only gives them options, but it also allows them to share the kit with friends and other family members.
For a dazzling effect, sprinkle a little bit of glitter into the colored sand.
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Accessories
While a sand art kit should include everything needed to create granular artwork, there are a few affordable accessories that you might want to consider if your child enjoys the activity.
Storage jars: Satinior Plastic Jars
If your kit only has tear-open plastic bags filled with sand, you’ll need containers to store the sand between uses. This set from Satinior includes 24 wide-mouth clear jars with lids to help keep the sand clean, dry, and sorted.
Plastic bottles: Hobbyland Squeeze Bottles
Another option for your sand is to use small plastic bottles with a tip. These six squeeze bottles from Hobbyland have the added benefit of giving you more control when applying the sand.
Boxes: Hallmark Shirt Boxes
The simplest way to keep the craft area clean when using sand is to work in the bottom of a shirt box like these from Hallmark. If there are any spills, this affordable accessory contains them and makes cleanup quick and easy.
Did You Know?
If you’re doing a sand art painting that involves peeling off sections before applying the sand, the best strategy is to start with the smallest sections before moving to the larger ones.
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Sand art kit prices
Inexpensive
If you’re looking for a small kit that only has one to three activities, a minimum of sand, and a few colors, you can get a sand art kit for less than $10. These are best for a special surprise or an activity for a child who may be at home sick for the day.
Mid-range
The largest and most diverse variety of sand art kits can be found in the $10 to $20 range. You should be able to find everything you need in one of these kits: a broad range of colors and projects and a large amount of sand. This type of sand art kit is best for a child who likes the activity and wants one that is large enough to create several projects or can be shared with friends.
Expensive
If you’re paying substantially more than $20 for a sand art kit, make sure you’re getting a good volume and quality of materials. Key features to look for are containers for the sand (not just plastic bags), a wider range of colors, and markedly more projects. If you can’t find a clear reason why a kit has a $50 price tag, it’s best to stay in the middle range.
Tips
Sand art is not only a fun pastime that allows your child to make a number of colorful crafts, it’s also beneficial to their growth and cognitive skills. Here are six ways that sand art can have a positive impact on your child’s development.
- Color recognition: Sand art helps a child learn to recognize different colors, a fundamental skill taught in preschools and kindergartens.
- Planning: Making sand art requires personal initiative, planning, and executive functioning skills.
- Fine motor skills: The fingers get a wonderful workout with sand art, helping to build fine motor skills and hand-eye coordination.
- Making choices: Kids learn about cause and effect when they plan their projects or make other choices with sand art.
- Creative exploration: Because sand is a rather open-ended art medium, kids get to explore the various ways they can be creative.
- Attention skills: To make a creative work with sand requires the artist to pay attention for a prolonged period of time on one task.
FAQ
Q. At what age can a child use a sand art kit?
A. The sand in a sand art kit is brightly colored and can look a lot like candy to a young child. Also, there might be smaller pieces in the kit that could pose a choking hazard. For these reasons, many sand art kits are not suitable for children under three years old, and some sand art kits are recommended for ages five and up. If you think that your child might be tempted to taste the colorful sand, it’s best to hold off on getting a kit until they’re a little older.
Q. Is using a sand art kit messy?
A. Unlike activities such as painting or playing with slime, a sand art kit won’t stain fabrics or surfaces because the materials are dry. Even if you do happen to spill some, sand isn’t hard to clean up. To help contain any potential messes, it’s advisable to do your sand art in a shallow cardboard box, such as a shirt box, so any mishaps are easily contained.
Q. How do I keep the different colors of sand from mixing together?
A. Even the most careful crafter can accidentally mix one color into another. The best way to guard against this is to only use one color of sand at a time and thoroughly clean up before using a new color.
Q. Can an adult use a sand art kit?
A. Definitely! Not only is sand art an extremely relaxing hobby, but it’s possible to create some impressive crafts using colored sand. For the more adventurous crafter, a sand art kit can be a springboard that leads to the fine art of sand painting.
