by Vivianne Ellis

Created on: March 22, 2009   Last Updated: March 29, 2009

Sand is a great medium for children to craft with. It is easy to get, fun to use and lends itself to a myriad of ideas. Here are some easy sand art projects for kids that we have used and had fun with over the years.

Sand Painting in a Jar

Colors and patterns are wonderful things for children to explore and try out. Whatever their favorite colors are when it comes to making art, the brighter the better. Kids love to experiment by playing with sand. And best of all... you don't even have to go to the beach!

What You Need: Mason jar Food coloring Sand Paper cups and bowls Stir sticks What To Do: Wash and dry the jar. Make sure it is completely dry inside. Remove any label from the outside of the jar as you will want to be able to see the 'painting' oonce it is made. Pour sand into several paper bowls or cups. You can find sand either at a local beach or from a nursery.

Make sure the sand is clean and dry. Ask your child about their favorite colors. Add the color food coloring of their choice to each bowl of sand and stir with the stick. Add more food coloring to make the sand a deeper shade. Experiment with mixing colors like yellow and red to create orange. Dry out the sand completely. If you can pour it onto a tray so it dries faster. If it's a sunny but not windy day, put it outside to speed up the drying process. Have your child decide what kind of pattern he wants to create in his sand jar. Horizontal stripes? A swirl of a few colors? When they have planned it, let them pour layers of colored sand into their jars.

If you roll a piece of paper you can use it to make the sand go where you want more easily or even use a straw for finer layers or areas in the sand. To create perfect stripes, help them smooth out the top of each layer of color. When they are finished they will have created a work of art everyone will admire. Place it in a special spot or use it as a paperweight or bookend. Don't forget to have the artist sign their creation. Use a permanent marker to add their name or make a label and place it on the bottom of the jar.

Sand Candles

What you need

dry sand approximately 5 inches deep in a clean, empty juice container

wicks

wax - colored or natural

pan to heat the wax

pencil to hold the wick

Have your child scoop out some sand from the central area in the juice container but make sure there is a layer of sand left around the edges. You are making a mold for the wax to fill so make the hole area as deep as you want the candle to be. Scooping the sand out with

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