Sand Art Craft

What You Need:

• Mason jar
• Food coloring
• Sand
• Paper cups and bowls
• Stir sticks

What You Do:

1. Wash and dry the jar. Because your child will be filling it with sand, be sure to completely dry the inside. Also, remove any remnants from the label (this is going to become amazing artwork after all!)
2. 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 dry.
3. Here comes the color! Ask your child about his favorite colors. Then, add food coloring to each bowl of sand and stir with the stir stick. Encourage your child to add more color to make the sand a deeper shade. Experiment with mixing colors like yellow and red to create orange.
4. Dry out the sand completely! Let it sit in the bowl or pour it onto a tray so it dries faster. If it's a sunny (and not windy) day, consider putting it outside to speed up the drying process.
5. Now, let your child decide what kind of pattern he wants to create in his sand jar. Horizontal stripes? Or, a mix of a bunch of colors? Anything goes! When they have planned it out, go ahead and let them pour layers of colored sand into their jars.
6. To create perfect stripes, help them smooth out the top of each layer of color.
7. When they are finished they will have created a work of art (and sand) masterpiece to admire. Place it in a special spot to appreciate its craftsmanship or use it as a paperweight or bookend. Don't forget to have the artist sign their masterpiece. Use a small piece of paper or a permanent marker carefully add their name to the bottom of the jar.