This taste-safe play sand is a fun addition to your summer activities for preschoolers. Regular sand can be tricky with little ones who still have a tendency to put things in their mouths. This sand recipe is taste-safe, making it an ideal alternative to regular sand.
We’ve been making this cloud dough “sand” for years and years at this point. It never fails to disappoint.
Some refer to this recipe as edible play sand, but I wouldn’t go quite that far.
We don’t really want to encourage the kids to eat it. But it is made with ingredients from the kitchen, so I’ve never worried about a little one tasting a smidge.
Related: Messy Play Ideas at Home
Preschooler and Toddler Play Sand
As I mentioned above, this is a tried-and-true play recipe that has been a hit with so many kids!
Even though I reference preschoolers and toddlers, I know for a fact that elementary-aged children love it too.
(I’ve even seen groups of middle school kids get into it too!)
Related: Unicorn Play Dough
Play Sand Ingredients
As promised, there are only two ingredients in this simple recipe. Here’s what you’ll need (I may get commissions for purchases made through links in this post).
The whole-wheat flour is what gives this recipe the look and feel of sand from the beach.
If you don’t have vegetable oil, you can use another type of cooking oil. Just be sure to take any allergies into account.
If you’re not worried about making a taste-safe sand, you can use baby oil in place of the vegetable oil.
Play Sand Recipe
The basic toddler-safe sand recipe is 8 parts whole-wheat flour to 1 part vegetable oil.
We started out with 4 cups flour and 1/2 cup vegetable oil, but you can adjust it based on how much you want to make.
Related: Ocean Sensory Bottle
All you have to do is add the flour to a bin and then pour in the oil. Let the kids help measure and pour!
Then it’s time to mix it all together. Again, the kids can help with this part.
The play sand has the consistency of damp beach sand, without being sticky or wet.
It’s a light brown color, too, which makes it look even more like sand.
On top of that, it is moldable just like real beach sand!
The fact that it’s safe for toddlers makes it even better! I love using materials that kids of varying ages can get into safely.
How to Use the Homemade Sand
The great thing about this play sand recipe is that you can use it in so many different ways!
Make it for one child, make it for a small group, or make it for a large group of kids!
I’ve used it with my own son, with my preschool students, with children I babysat, and even during summer camps!
If you want to use it during summer camp, I highly suggest a kiddie pool. Here’s the recipe we used for that:
- 3 5-pound bags of whole-wheat flour
- 6 cups vegetable oil
If you can, grab a kiddie pool with a top. That way you can protect the play sand when the children aren’t using it.
If you want to make the sand in a large sensory bin, use the following recipe:
- 1 5-pound bag of whole-wheat flour
- 2 cups vegetable oil
You can so many different things to the toddler-safe sand!
We preferred adding shells, shovels, ocean animals, and beach toys to the sand.
The kids especially loved the sand castle toys because the sand is moldable. So they were able to make play sand castles!
The shells were a close second though, particularly because the children liked imprinting the shells into the sand.
Related: Shell Painting Ocean Art
Beach Small World with Play Sand
If you want to take the taste-safe sand to another level, why not make your own beach small world?
This can be done in a large plastic bin or a child’s water table. It just depends on what you have on-hand.
Be sure to have the kids help you set up. It won’t look perfect, but it’ll be more fun and meaningful.
Pour the play sand into a bin or water table. Consider adding some seashells in the sand.
Create water using water beads or blue glass gems.
Add some ocean animals to round everything out.
You can also place spoons, cups, and shovels in there if you’d like.
I am not even exaggerating that this gave the kids hours upon hours of engaging play time!
The ocean animals swam and played in the water, with more animal toys added to the mix.
Shells were buried and found over and over again.
Very entertaining stories were told along the way!
At the end of the day, after a cumulative 4+ hours of play, the beach small world was a crazy mess!
Honestly, this didn’t bother me on bit. I loved hearing all of the stories and giggles, and the smiles on the kids’ faces brightened the day.
Plus, the mess just meant they were having fun. And a mess is a great chance for kids to learn how to clean up!
As you can see, this taste-safe play sand has been an absolute hit with kids of all ages over the years. Do let me know if you give it a try!
Here’s one more look:
How Long Does Cloud Dough Last?
The answer to this question really depends on how you make the cloud dough, how you store it, and how often it’s used.
You definitely want to store the “sandy” cloud dough in an air-tight container between uses.
Oh, and make sure everyone washes their hands before playing with the play sand (and afterwards too, of course).
That being said, the longest we’ve stored the sand dough has been a month. Because we play hard around here, we haven’t had enough leftover past that point.
If you use baby oil in place of the vegetable oil, it should last for months when stored correctly. Keep in mind that it won’t be taste-safe if you use baby oil, though.
Done-For-You Preschool Resources
Let The Pack from Preschool Teacher 101 help you free up your spare time. No more spending your nights and weekends planning! Be sure to join the waitlist so you can test out a free set of lesson plans (and be the first to know when enrollment opens up).
Click on the images below to check out some of our resources:
Originally published August 2013.
This looks so much like real sand! I can’t wait to give it a try! Thanks for the great idea. 🙂
We were just so tickled about our “discovery” last year! Thanks for all of your amazing inspirations. 🙂
How fun! And super cool that it’s edible!
Thanks Stephanie! It really helped that it was taste-safe for the little ones. No one really tried to eat it, though! 🙂
This is the solution for my tiny tot! What an awesome idea!
Thanks so much, Natasha! Let me know how it goes if you and your little one try it out.
Looks awesome. Never tried vegetable oil. My son has a thing with his hands getting dirty but I keep having him do it since it doesn’t bother him THAT much!
🙂 I really liked the feel of this “sand”, and so did all of the children who tried it (even those who don’t care for getting dirty). Let me know what your son thinks if you try it.
i’m definitely giving this a try!!!! thanks for sharing.
I’m so glad to hear that! Let me know how it goes if you do try it out! 🙂
This is fantastic! So simple and fun! I partially love the huge kids pool and octopus hanging out ― so awesome! I can’t wait to try Ann’s lime dough too! Thanks for all your inspiration. Can’t wait to see more.
Yay, so glad to hear that Heather!!! We really have had a blast with our “play sand”, and Ann’s Lime Dough is AWESOME!! 🙂 Let me know how it goes if you try either one.
Sand art can be really fun, but is extremely messy. Its many perks are that it’s engaging, flexible in what can be done with it, exposes children to a lot of different textures, and forces tool use. Even adults cannot deny that pushing your hands into a pile of sand is a rewarding experience! The tactile sensation, which is so known to us, is still pleasing and enjoyable.
It was definitely fun and engaging for all of us! Thanks for reading. 🙂
Like Determined Diva, my little diva loves playing in plastic bins too:) In fact, I think they make a great and very easy toddler playtime prop.
Thank you! It’s always fun to see what the children do with simple things — I love it!
I am curious about how long this “sand” is good? Does it go bad? It is an awesome idea.
We’ve used it for about a week each time (7 days). I kept it stored in an airtight container when we weren’t using it. Since it is made of food, I wouldn’t suggest going for too much longer than that. Of course, by the end of 7 days it has usually been VERY well played in!
I’ve looked into this more, and many cloud dough “users” say that you can use it for longer. If made with baby oil, it may last indefinitely! I’ve never used it past a week or so, though. I’m going to have to experiment and see how long ours can truly last. 🙂
This is such a great idea! I will be making some of this for summer. I was just thinking how can I have a sand play area without real sand. I love how you made large batches too! Sounds easy and fun. We might do this today!
Thanks so much, Amy! I hope you all have tons of fun playing 🙂
I was sharing this idea and Someone just warned me about it attracting animals since it was made of food. We have raccoons and mice around. Anyone had issues with animals if leaving it outside in covered sandbox? Thanks!
I love this idea!!!! I was wondering what brand of whole wheat flour you used. I know some brands of whole wheat flour are white. Thanks for your help.
Thanks, Melissa! I just used the store brand since it was on sale. I didn’t choose a white whole wheat flour, just straight up “whole wheat”. I hope that helps a little!
I made this “sand” today with my 15 month old & she loved it! I’m using it to get her ready for our beach vacation in November. You said that you have only kept it a week, however your post was a year ago. Have you tried since then to keep it longer than a week? I tossed mine in the fridge just to be on the safe side . . . what are your thoughts now, a year later? I wish I could some how show you the pictures I took today of my delighted toddler! Thank you soooo much for this!
Thanks for the recipe! I didn’t have any whole-wheat flour, so I made it with plain white flour and added a little cinnamon for that brown color.
1 cup white flour
2 Tbsp. vegetable oil
Spoonful of cinnamon
The texture is great. We’ll see what my 17-month-old makes of it!
I have to wonder, does the whole wheat flour and oil go bad or rancid after a while? About how long will it last? Does it start to smell?
I wouldn’t keep this indefinitely! 🙂 The longest I’ve used it for is about 2 weeks (and that’s keeping it sealed and stored away each night.
I was just wondering if you have tried it with baby oil to see how long it lasts.
Can’t wait to try this with our preschool class. They love sand play.
This is really a great idea! Can this be reuse for second time?
Yes, we’ve kept it and reused it over the course of a week or two! 🙂
Didn’t the oil get all over their clothes and body hands hair?Sorry new to this?
Hi Rachael – No worries, ask away! Nope, we didn’t have an issue with that at all. Likely because the sand absorbs some of it. The sand was a bit like beach sand in that it did stick to hands. But brushing the hands together and/or washing hands with soap and water when done got rid of that.
How long does this mixture last? My son has a sandbox with a cover…can this mixture be stored like real sand?
oops,..i just saw the answer a few posts above. you kept it at most 2 weeks……what about it being stored outdooors in sandbox with lid? Think i’ll get an icky surprise?
I’d worry about storing it too long outside because of the heat, to be honest. Anytime I’ve used it outside, I’ve brought it in whenever it’s not in use. I’m not sure I’d go longer than a week outside. Since I haven’t tried it, though, I don’t have a specific answer for you – sorry!
Thanks for the tips but how long can you store these sands? Does it grows mold and bacteries?
I kept it stored in a sealed container for a couple of weeks. I haven’t run into mold or anything like that during that time period, but I’m sure that will vary depending on individual climates. And definitely have kiddos wash hands before and after using sensory play materials. 🙂
Alsome idea I am going to try this,my son is special needs and im trying everything for him. Thank u for taking ur time to show ur ideas😊
Thanks for the sweet words, Amber. Please do let me know how your son likes the “sand”. 🙂
Mine seemed to go lumpy rather than smooth, no matter how long I mixed it. Does the types of vegetable oil matter? What am I doing wrong?
Hmmmm, I don’t think it matters which kind of vegetable oil you use. I’ve used a few different brands and types, and it always turns out to be the same kind of consistency. It should lump together a bit, kind of like wet sand does, when you squish it together or push it into a mold. It sounds like you’ve mixed it really well, which would have been my only other suggestion. Does it work well for the kids otherwise?
Hello! Great stories to hear. Glad it was such a hit. I’m wondering though if this recipe can be used in a kids inflatable toy bopper? Or will it clump up an disintegrate shortly after filling bottom up? Look forward to knowing. Also will this mixture freeze say if its kept in a cold room or back porch? Thanks and God bless!
Thanks for stopping by! I have never tried it in an inflatable toy bopper, so I can’t say what would happen. If you try it, do let me know. 🙂 I also have no idea if it will freeze, but I do recommend keeping it covered when it’s not in use (especially outside). Sorry I couldn’t be of more help!
Can the kids start playing with it right away and how long can you keep it?
Yes, the kids can definitely play with it right away! In fact, let the kids help make it if you can. 🙂 I’ve only kept it about a week or two because of the amount of kids playing in it usually. Properly stored and only used with a few kids at a time it might last longer – probably up to a month, but I can’t promise that. We need to make a new batch soon and test that out!
?How long will this last before going rancid?
The longest we’ve kept it stored is a month. It might last longer than that, but I don’t have personal experience with it. I really need to experiment with it by setting aside some of our next batch to see how long it lasts!
This lines up well with Kinetic Sand Day! I love the look of the sand. It looks like a lot of fun. I am going to use this with my nephew!
That’s awesome! Let me know what your nephew thinks of it. 🙂
Can you use any other kind of flour? My store doesn’t have the wheat flour and I really want to try this!
Wheat flour is the best way to make it look like “sand” . . . but I’ve made this with white flour and it’s just as fun!