Colored Sand Process Art - Homegrown Friends

I’ve been thinking about purchasing colored sand for projects, but I am always hesitant because of the expense. I had the opportunity to receive Cathy James’ new e-book Super Sensory Invitations to Play and was delighted to find a recipe for homemade colored sand (among all the other amazing ideas!). So much fun! I love the idea that with two ingredients I can make all the colors I want for a fraction of the cost of store bought colored sand. We were inspired by this fun recipe to make Colored Sand Process Art.

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This post contains affiliate links for your convenience. I was given a copy if the e-book Super Sensory Invitations to Play free of charge. All opinions are my own.

WHAT YOU NEED FOR THE COLORED SAND PROCESS ART

sand- we used some from our sandbox, but you can also purchase some like this
colored chalk- this brand has beautiful colors
white glue
large canvases (1 per child)
cheese grater

AREAS OF DEVELOPMENT

fine motor development
color exploration
creativity
language development
spatial awareness

HOW TO MAKE THE COLORED SAND PROCESS ART

We began by following the directions in the new book Super Sensory Invitations to Play. All you need is pick a color of chalk and grate it into a small amount of sand. Mix it around and you are ready. Isn’t that an incredible inside tip? Cathy’s book is full of easy sensory play ideas. I used the sand directly from our sandbox which had a brownish hue so the colors were not as vibrant as the ones in the book. Next time I might purchase some of this white sand.

Now that we had our colored sand I introduced the activity by putting plates of the sand on the table with small cups of glue, paintbrushes and 1 canvas per child.

Next I demonstrated how to brush the glue on a small portion of the canvas and then pinching a small amount of colored sand and sprinkling it on the glue.

We continued to repeat these steps until each child decided he was finished.

Like with all art experiences for children the focus of this activity should be on the process not the product. When speaking with children about their art avoid statements that begin with “I like” or “It looks like a”, instead focus on the actions of the child, “Look at the way you are putting the blue sand next to the green sand.” “I notice you are moving your arm back and forth to brush the glue all the way across the canvas.” Statements like the latter keep the conversation open allowing the child the opportunity to share her point of view.

On of the concepts I also point out when doing an art activity is how we all started with the same materials, but creative our own unique work of art. Look at our gorgeous results.

I am looking forward to exploring more of the sensory activities in the book. From homemade scented paints to a recipe for pumpkin spice goop hours of sensory fun await us! The book includes 52 easy ideas for exploring all 5 senses categorized by Season and Holiday. Love that!

Want to get your hands on your own copy of Super Sensory Invitations to Play?

Click here to purchase your own copy for $14.99 and let the fun begin! You can purchase the book from anywhere in the world. PayPal will take care of the currency exchange. You can buy it now, on any device, and then download it when you are ready. Depending on the apps you have installed and your operating system you might be able to go ahead and download the ebook on your mobile device, but if you have any doubts or problems, I recommend you use a computer to download the ebook and then share it to your mobile devices.