Every year, new toys and activities are invented for children. Whether it’s purely for entertainment, or the aim is to help foster vital development milestones, children always have their pick of new toys. One newer invention that has taken the country by storm in the past few decades, created in the 1990s, is Kinetic Sand.
Kinetic Sand feels like wet sand, with much less mess. It only adheres to itself, meaning it won’t make your hands sticky and won’t leave a trail of sand behind in its wake.
Because Kinetic Sand feels like wet sand, many people have wondered how long it lasts and if it dries out. Kinetic Sand isn’t cheap compared to real sand, so you want to make sure it’s worth the investment before purchasing for your kids.
So, does Kinetic Sand dry out? No, Kinetic Sand does not dry out. You can leave it out for days and it won’t ever dry out. Sometimes the texture is affected by humidity, but you can always revitalize your Kinetic Sand with just a few drops of water.
If your Kinetic Sand has started to lose its lush texture, don’t throw it out just yet. Kinetic Sand is well-loved because of its longevity, and there are easy ways to keep it in its best condition long-term.
What Is Kinetic Sand?
Although Kinetic Sand feels like manufactured imitation sand, it may surprise you to know that Kinetic Sand is made with 100% natural sand.
It’s a mix of 98% fine sand and 2% polydimethylsiloxane, also known as dimethicone. In layman’s terms, silicone oil.
Silicone oil is a substance used for a variety of purposes. Many people use silicone oil in their acrylic pouring art to give the paint a more viscous consistency. When mixed with fine sand, it produces the result of Kinetic Sand.
Many parents love Kinetic Sand because of its no-mess fun. The silicone oil causes the sand to adhere only to itself. It doesn’t stick to skin, clothes, or play surfaces like a table or sand box.
Since Kinetic Sand is made using fine grain sand, it’s soft on kids’ hands and won’t cause rash or irritation like regular sand you’d find on a beach.
Kinetic Sand can be molded into shapes and retain that shape until you smash it. It can also be sliced through with toy plastic knives. Kids have a lot of fun creating shapes with their Kinetic Sand, then slicing through it and starting all over.
Unlike Play-Doh or modeling clay, Kinetic Sand can be reformed time and time again. After you make one shape, you can smash it and make another. You can do this for hours at a time, then pull it back out the next day and do it again.
Does Kinetic Sand Dry Out?
No, Kinetic Sand never dries out.
Even though Kinetic Sand feels like wet sand, it’s made with silicone oil, not water. That means that there’s no water to evaporate over time. Instead, you have an oil that will retain its moisture for years.
Sometimes the humidity in the environment can mess with Kinetic Sand and cause the texture to feel off, but this isn’t because the Kinetic Sand is drying out.
There are simple remedies for when your Kinetic Sand doesn’t feel as soft and luscious as it did before. Read the section below to find two methods to fix Kinetic Sand that feels like it’s dried out.
How To Fix Kinetic Sand That Feels Dry
As we mentioned above, sometimes Kinetic Sand feels dry because of a change in humidity. This doesn’t just happen with Kinetic Sand that’s played with outdoors, but Kinetic Sand that’s played with inside too.
Just as humidity can affect the texture of our hair, humidity can affect the texture of Kinetic Sand. However, if you follow one of the two methods below, you can easily revive your Kinetic Sand and bring it back to its original soft glory.
1. Drops Of Water
The first method, and the one recommended by the Kinetic Sand company itself, is to add a couple drops of water.
You shouldn’t add too much. Just two or three drops is enough. It may seem like a tiny amount of water for such a large amount of sand, but you’ll be surprised at what it can do.
Once you’ve sprinkled in the water, massage it into the sand. You want to work the sand as you’d knead bread dough, making sure to incorporate the water into all of the sand.
If there are any stray clumps of sand around the table, make sure you bring those into the larger mound of sand to ensure every bit gets the infusion of water.
As you massage, you should notice a difference in the sand. You’ll be able to tell when it’s done by picking up the sand and letting it fall. If it has the same texture as it used to, then you’re back in business!
If you notice it still feels a little dry, add one or two extra drops of water and repeat the process.
You can even follow this easy 30-second video below. It’s made by the Kinetic Sand company as a demonstration of how to revitalize Kinetic Sand that’s feeling a little dry from humidity changes.
2. Wet Hands
There is a second method to revitalizing Kinetic Sand that feels like it’s dried out. Although not created by the Kinetic Sand company, this method works just as well and uses the same principle of adding a little water.
Instead of adding a few drops of water on top of the sand, you can instead wet your hands.
Make sure your hands are not soaking wet when you do this method. Remember that the key to revitalizing Kinetic Sand is to use just a small amount of water. You can run one palm under a running faucet, then rub it against your other hand.
This water alone should be enough for this method. Keep in mind that you can always add a little more water if need be. Once your hands are lightly wet, proceed with massaging the sand. The moisture from your hands will transfer into the sand as you work.
You can check out another 30-second video below for a tutorial with this method.
How To Store Kinetic Sand
Even though Kinetic Sand doesn’t dry out, it’s still a good idea to store it properly. Leaving it sitting out for days won’t ruin it, but it will mean that you may have to employ one of the rejuvenation methods above every time you leave it out.
Instead, it’s a good idea to store Kinetic Sand in an airtight container to prevent any changes in moisture or humidity. When you’re ready to put your Kinetic Sand away, clean it up by pulling all the large clumps of Kinetic Sand together into one big ball.
For any stray smaller clumps lying around, you can use the big ball to pick them up. Simply drop the bigger clump of Kinetic Sand onto the small clumps and it should pick them right up.
When all of the Kinetic Sand is in one ball or clump, then place it in a Ziploc bag or airtight container. Be sure to get a Ziploc bag or container that can fit all of your Kinetic Sand. This will differ depending on how much you have.
It could be a good idea to get a box of gallon Ziploc bags if you want to use the bags. This way you can use a different bag for each color of Kinetic Sand.
If you have too much of one color to fit in one bag, you can always separate it into several bags. Instead of using bags, you could also use airtight containers. We recommend this pack of 4 containers that can hold 4.3 liters each.
Some people prefer containers with lids over bags because it’s a little more sturdy and able to stand up to a child’s or pet’s rough handling.
Either way, you can’t go wrong. Your Kinetic Sand will be protected from outside humidity and moisture affecting it, so it should help your Kinetic Sand stay soft without the need for revitalizing every play session.
Once you’ve put your sand into the bags or containers, you can put all the bags or containers into a kitty litter tray.
Although it may seem weird to use a box designed for cats to use the restroom, at the end of the day, it’s just a large plastic tray. Perfect for holding several Ziploc bags or airtight containers.
Placing all of your Kinetic Sand containers in this tray means you can easily store the tray without having to carry each individual container.
Simply pick up the tray and slide it up onto a shelf, into a cupboard, or set it on an activity table. The tray can also double as a small sand box if you want to keep the Kinetic Sand contained in play as well as in storage.
Can You Leave Kinetic Sand Out Overnight?
Yes, you can leave Kinetic Sand out overnight! While this isn’t highly recommended due to the humidity in the air affecting the texture of your Kinetic Sand, you can rest assured that it will not be ruined.
If your child is playing in Kinetic Sand and has a meltdown that requires hours of calming and attention, it’s normal that the Kinetic Sand would lay forgotten where the child was playing.
In the morning, when you find it, you can simply put it back in the containers you use for storage. The next time you bring it out for play, if it feels a little off or dried out, you can always use one of our two recommended methods above to revitalize the Kinetic Sand.
Leaving Kinetic Sand out overnight shouldn’t become a habit, but if it does happen a few times, you can rest easy knowing that your Kinetic Sand doesn’t need to be thrown out and replaced.
How Long Will Kinetic Sand Last?
Kinetic Sand lasts a lifetime. While it would be a stretch to imagine that the sand would last for hundreds of years, it certainly lasts longer than anyone would expect it to.
Because of the silicone oil and easy methods for revitalizing when the humidity gets the best of it, Kinetic Sand has an incredibly long shelf-life.
Unlike other similar activities like Play-Doh, modeling clay, or Model Magic, Kinetic Sand will last for years. Although Kinetic Sand may sound invincible, it’s still a good idea to store it properly for best long-term results.
Adding a little water can help bring the Kinetic Sand back to life, but you wouldn’t want to do that every single time you get it out. To keep Kinetic Sand in its peak condition for many years to come, store it properly in airtight containers.
Can Kinetic Sand Go In Water?
Technically, yes, Kinetic Sand can go in water. However, just as Kinetic Sand can start to feel dry, it can get too wet.
When you add too much water to your Kinetic Sand, it will ruin the consistency and texture. But don’t throw it away just yet. There’s an easy solution to fixing Kinetic Sand that has gotten too wet!
Whether your child poured their cup of water all over it, or you accidentally used too much water trying to revitalize your Kinetic Sand, there’s an easy method to fix it.
Spread out the Kinetic Sand evenly on a flat, dry surface. We recommend using a counter or table, preferably out of reach of your children or pets.
Make sure the Kinetic Sand has been spread out in a thin layer. The goal is to allow the excess moisture to evaporate in the air, so you want to make sure that there’s enough airflow to enough of the sand for this to work.
Once it’s all spread out, let it dry on the surface. Allow several hours for the sand to properly dry. The exact time will depend on the humidity and air flow in your room, but you can always test it while you wait.
If it’s been a few hours and you’re wondering if it’s ready to play with yet, simply push it all together into one big clump again and start playing with it. If it feels like its original texture again, then it’s ready to go!
If it still feels to wet, spread it out evenly again and give it a few more hours to dry. Remember that your Kinetic Sand can never dry out completely, so there’s no harm in leaving it out for too long.
You can watch a video of this method from the Kinetic Sand company below. They do a great job of making quick, short videos to help you take care of and troubleshoot issues with your Kinetic Sand.
Can I Make My Own Kinetic Sand?
Yes! You can certainly make your own Kinetic Sand. However, if you’re going to create a DIY Kinetic Sand, it’s important to remember that you shouldn’t follow the original recipe.
Instead of using silicone oil, it can be a good idea to use dish soap and cornstarch. These two combined with your fine play sand will create a very similar texture and feel to real Kinetic Sand.
Because you’re dish soap and corn starch instead of silicone oil, the revitalization methods we listed above won’t apply.
While water is part of the recipe for DIY Kinetic Sand, adding too much water to dish soap just makes it bubbly and sudsy, so this may not be a good idea.
If you’re going to make your own Kinetic Sand, it’s best to remember to store it after every play session to keep it in good condition. There are plenty of recipes and tricks to making DIY Kinetic Sand, so be sure to know exactly how your chosen recipe will work before making it.
The fun part about DIY Kinetic Sand is that you can make it any color you want! Simply add a few drops of food dye and you’ll have different colors of Kinetic Sand. You can always buy pre-colored sand as well if you want an easier way to add color.
You can also add glitter to give your DIY Kinetic Sand a fun pop!
Keep in mind that while the sand will stick to itself, the glitter may not. Glitter is well-known in the crafting community as being a messy substance that never fully cleans up.
As soon as you think you’ve cleaned up the last speck of glitter, you see another one a week later that you somehow missed. So, with that in mind, use glitter sparingly and with caution.
There are plenty of video tutorials on making DIY Kinetic Sand, but we recommend this video below from TKOR, or The King of Random.
This video compares their trial recipes for DIY Kinetic Sand against the real, store-bought Kinetic Sand to make sure the textures of the DIY version are the same, or similar, to the brand name Kinetic Sand.
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