If your kids love the beach, this sandcastle sand art craft is such a fun way to bring a little bit of summer indoors. Using real sand and a simple printable-style outline, kids can create their very own textured sandcastle masterpiece that feels extra sensory and creative. It’s easy to set up, wonderfully messy in the best possible way, and perfect for toddlers, preschoolers, and older kids too.
This beach craft works great for summer themes, ocean units, beach day activities, or even as a quiet afternoon craft when you need something simple but engaging.
What You’ll Need
- White cardstock or thick paper
- Sand (craft sand or clean play sand)
- School glue
- Printed sandcastle outline (download below)
- Tray or baking sheet (to catch extra sand)
- Optional: seashells or foam stickers for decorating
- Optional: watercolor paint and brush
How to Set Up
- Print out our simple sandcastle coloring page using the link below. Place the paper onto a tray to help contain the sand mess.
- Have your child trace small sections of the sandcastle with glue. Sprinkle sand over the glue, then gently shake off the extra onto the tray. Continue section by section until the entire castle is outlined in sand.
- Once dry, kids can decorate their beach scene using watercolor paint with stickers, extra drawings, or small seashells.
Easy Modifications
- Use colored sand for a brighter beachy look
- Try making tiny sand handprints beside the castle
- Turn it into a name craft by writing your child’s name in sand
Tips for Success
- Work in small glue sections so the glue doesn’t dry before adding sand
- Use thicker paper or cardstock since regular paper can wrinkle
- Let the craft dry fully before hanging it up
- Keep a tray underneath to make cleanup super easy
Frequently Asked Questions
What kind of sand works best?
Craft sand works great, but clean play sand or even beach sand can work too. Finer sand tends to stick better to the glue.
Can toddlers do this craft?
Yes! Younger toddlers may need help squeezing the glue, but they absolutely love sprinkling the sand.
How do you keep the sand from falling off?
Make sure kids press the sand gently into the glue before shaking off the extra. Once fully dry, most of the sand stays attached really well.
Can I make this craft without a printable?
Definitely. You can simply draw a sandcastle outline with a black marker onto paper and use that as your guide.
Is this craft messy?
A little — but in a manageable way. Using a tray underneath the paper helps contain almost all of the extra sand and makes cleanup much easier.
This sandcastle sand art craft is one of those simple summer activities that kids always seem to love. It’s tactile, creative, and feels a little bit like bringing the beach home. Perfect for a sunny afternoon, beach week, or anytime your kids are dreaming about summer.
Play2Learn Toddler & Preschool Programs for Curious Toddlers
There is no limit to your toddler’s energy and curiosity. That energy and curiosity although a joy can be challenging at times. Their interest in just about everything around them is what makes them great learners. One and two year olds can soak up so much just from their senses!
But as a teacher or parent that thirst for learning can be exhausting. That is why I created this toddler and preschooler program. To help you get the most out of this time with your curious toddler without having to come up with creative ways to play and interact with them.
Play2Learn for Toddlers includes 20 Units for toddlers. Each 2-week toddler unit has 20 super easy to set up and engaging activities for toddlers 18 months to 3 years.
Play2Learn Preschool which includes 20 Units for preschoolers. Each 2-week preschoolers unit has 20 unique and easy to set up and engaging activities for preschoolers 3 years to 5 years. That’s over 800 learning activities for your toddler and preschooler at your fingertips! So many ideas you and your child will never be bored again!
These toddler and preschool lesson plans and activities will definitely keep you and your toddler and preschooler busy playing and learning!
Click here for more information: Play2Learn
Book: Exciting Sensory Bins for Curious Kids
Did you know I wrote a book of sensory bins? Click here for more information Exciting Sensory Bin for Curious Kids. Or grab your copy at Amazon.
Boring afternoons are made exciting with awesome animal-based bins, like Salty Shark Bay or Yarn Farm. Pretend play bins like Birthday Cake Sensory Play or Bubble Tea Party encourage creativity and imagination. And your kids will have so much fun they won’t even know they’re getting smarter with STEAM (science, technology, engineering, art and math) activities like Sink or Float Soup, Magnetic Letter Hunt or Ice Cream Scoop and Count.
Designed for toddlers 18 months and up.
Book: Super STEAM Activity Book for Kids
Learning all about science, technology, engineering, art, and math sets kids up for scholastic success―and it can be so much fun! Watch kids enjoy building STEAM skills as they color friendly fish, help water find its way to tree roots, solve math problems with mazes, and more.
Find out more and grab your copy here.
Designed for preschoolers 3 years old and up.
Book: Big Book of Riddles for Kids
Riddle me this: What’s an exciting way to practice critical thinking while having a blast? The Big Riddle Book for Kids, of course! From hilarious puns to tough brain teasers, kids can build problem-solving skills with hundreds of riddles tha. t show them how to think outside the box.
- 350 riddles for kids—Have hours of fun with riddles, puns and jokes, and math and logic puzzles that’ll get their wheels turning!
- Level up their skills—Riddles get trickier as kids progress through the book, challenging them as they get better at solving puzzles!
- Double-check their work—Kids can check their answers in the back of the book with a handy answer key.
Help children expand their minds while having fun with this puzzle book for kids!
Designed for kids ages 6 years old and up.
TV Show: Curious Crafting
I’m so excited to share my crafting TV show Curious Crafting which launched in July 2022 on TVOkids and TVOkids YouTube! Season 2 aired in August 2023! My show was also nominated in 2023 for Best Live Action Preschool Series by the Youth Media Alliance Awards of Excellence.
Curious Crafting Season 1 is also now airing in Australia on ABC! Watch it here!
Set in the ultimate crafting space, Curious Crafting is a short form pre-school age series about the joy of making crafts. I lead a rotating cast of adorable little preschoolers (including my own) making magic out of common household objects.
In each episode we transform recycled items into magical crafts like a milk carton school bus, paper bag puppet or cotton pad turtle. The crafters learn and laugh their way through each activity while demonstrating what their young imaginations can create.
Curious Crafting shares the adventure and joy of making art with takeaway lessons for creating crafts at home.
This show designed for toddlers and preschoolers 2.5 years old and up.
