Make your own Magic Sand

Heard of moon sand, magic sand (sold as "Sqand" in toy shops), or oobleck sand? It's a sand mixture that holds its shape better than just sand and water, so you can make sand castles or imprints that are tricky with plain sand. But it's also expensive to buy - so make your own! The original Sqand is hydrophobic, which means it repels water. This version isn't hydrophobic, but is cheap and easy, can be made with things you probably already have at home, and is still much easier to build with than plain sand.

It's very simple to make: 1 part water, 2 parts cornflour, 4 parts plain sand. For example, 3 cups water, 6 cups cornflour, 12 cups sand. Don't have that much cornflour in the house? Use a smaller cup! Get the kids to mix it together, it can get messy and is best done with hands. And frankly, getting their hands into it is the point of a sensory experience like sand play.

Will be back later tonight with pictures of what we've made with our magic sand...