The Best Kinetic Sand

Buying Guide

Kinetic sand is every child’s dream come true: Sand they can play with indoors! Like regular sand, kinetic sand has a wonderful textural quality. Unlike regular sand, it tends to stick together more even when fully dry, making it much less messy and a lot more fun. Plus, kinetic sand comes in eye-catching, bright colors like purple, blue and pink, making it incredibly fun to play with.

There are so many different kinetic sand sets out there that it can be overwhelming when deciding which one to get. Consider how much sand you’re looking for first. For example, do you want to get just a small amount of sand in one color to try it out to see if your kids like it, or do you want to get a big set with many different elements?

MORE: The Best Sand & Water Tables for Toddlers

Also be sure to think about what kinds of accessories you want with the kinetic sand. While playing with the sand alone is fun for kids, they may also want to have some molds and sand toys to enhance their experience. Some kinetic sand sets come with things like shovels and small buckets, while themed sets come with molds for castles, cupcakes and many other items. Often, the sets with molds also have different colored kinetic sand, so kids have more variety for their play.

Think about storage as well when getting kinetic sand, as it can tend to dry out and become crumbly when it is left out for too long. Ideally, you want to keep the sand in resealable bags or in an air-tight container. This way, it will stay moist and malleable for years. Plus, having a proper storage container also makes cleanup a lot easier.

MORE: The Best Covered Sand Box

• Keep in mind that once you mix different colors of kinetic sand together, it is not possible to separate them. Just like regular sand, when the grains are mixed, you can’t pick them out. While kids might be excited to mix different colors of sand together, gently explain how this is a permanent process. If the blue and red sand combine, they won’t have separate and blue and red sand again from this batch. Some kids don’t mind mixing colors while others prefer to keep them separate.
• Safety is of the utmost priority when selecting toys children play with, so be sure to check the ingredients. Some kinetic sand may contain wheat gluten, which can be harmful to children who have celiac disease.
• Always supervise young children when they are playing with kinetic sand to ensure they don’t put any in their mouths. It is not safe to consume in any quantity, and it’s important to remind little ones to always wash their hands after playing with kinetic sand.
• Kinetic sand is a great way to help kids unwind. The sand has a stress-relieving quality thanks to it’s unique feel. Playing with the sand, squeezing it into shapes and running it through their fingers can help kids wind down after an overstimulating day.
• The molds from kinetic sand can also be used to play with real sand or even snow. Just be sure to wash them after so that you don’t mix any other elements with the kinetic sand.