How to make Rainbow Sand (Beach Safe Recipe)

Learn how to make Rainbow Sand with this easy recipe. This colored sand is safe to use both at home or at the beach. It’s environmentally safe and will just wash away with the waves.

If you want to make your summer holiday epic, then try making rainbow sandcastles at the beach with your kids. They’ll have so much fun and you’ll have some wonderful memories to carry with you.

If you want to make your Summer themed lessons a breeze, then check out the Summer Activity Pack. It’s filled with math and literacy centers, fine motor activities and arts and crafts templates. All of which are aligned with preschool learning standards. Check it out today.

Disclosure: Adult supervision is required for all activities at all times. Some of the links provided in this blog are affiliate links. I will be paid a commission if you use this link to make a purchase.

More Summer Themed Sensory Activities

If your toddlers and preschoolers love sensory play, then take a look at these ideas. These summer themed activities are perfect for young children who love to learn through play.

1. Ice Cream Sensory Bag
2. Taste Safe Beach Sensory Bin
3. Frozen Sand Sensory Bin
4. Dyed Seashells Sensory Bin
5. Glittery Frozen Water Balloons

For more ideas, take a look at these 25 Summer sensory activities.

Materials Needed

1. Beach or sandbox sand
2. Food coloring
3. Ziplock bags or a large bowl
4. Water
5. Spoon

How to make Rainbow Sand

1. Pour your sand into a ziplock bag or a bowl.

If you’re going to do this activity at the beach, you can just make colored sand by mixing it in a hole. It’ll mean you won’t need to take extra equipment to the beach, even if it’s not as efficient.

2. Add in 10 – 15 drops of food coloring.

The amount of food coloring you use will depend on how much colored sand you are making. If the color isn’t as strong as you would like, you can always add in more food coloring as you go.

3. Add in enough water to make the sand wet.

You don’t have to add in a huge amount of water, just enough to help the color go all throughout the sand.

Of course, if you do add in too much water, don’t worry. It just means that it’ll take longer to dry if you are making colored sand for art projects or sensory play.

4. Mix until well combined

5. Lay the sand onto a plate or tray and wait for it to dry.

The time it takes to dry will depend on how much sand you’ve made and how hot it is where you live.  For me, I find that making just a small amount of rainbow sand in the summertime will dry overnight. But be patient if it takes longer for you.

Another thing to note, is that the color won’t be as strong when the sand is dry, compared to when it is wet. If you want really strong colors for crafting, then use a lot of food coloring when you are making your mixture.

What can you do with colored sand?

Rainbow Sandcastles

Take this recipe to the beach and make colorful rainbow sandcastles. My kids loved layering the colors in their buckets before seeing what happened when they turned them over.

Although the clear layers only last for 1 round of sandcastles, the fun doesn’t. We discovered that once you made the sandcastle, when you mixed all the sand together for the next one, the colors melted together and made a beautiful marbled effect.

If you like, you can also make these sandcastles at home in your sandbox. It works just as well, and the color washes out with a bit of water. I do find that it takes 2 – 3 washes to get all of the color out, so if it doesn’t work perfectly the first time, don’t panic. It’ll come out eventually. 

Sensory Bins

Color sand to use in sensory bins. I’ve used colored sand as the base in both my watermelon sensory bin and my shark bay sensory bin. It was a great way to spice up a regular sand sensory play idea and the kids just loved it.

Arts and Crafts

Save some of your dried colored sand to use in art and craft activities. There are a few different ways to create art with rainbow sand, take a look at these Rainbow sand art activities for kids, to get you started.

Are you going to try making Rainbow Sand with your kids?
Don’t forget to pin the idea for later.

More Play Based Learning for Kids

60 Summer Activities for Kids

60 Sensory Activities for Kids