Magic Sand

Objectives

• Observe how magic sand seems to stay dry in water.

Materials

• Per Child:
  a couple of tablespoons of magic sand in a small cup or container (magic sand available for purchase at Boreal Science, Educational Innovations, and also from many toy stores)
  a clear, wide-mouth container of water
  a spoon

Key Questions

• Is the magic sand wet or dry? How can you tell? What about when you lift it back out of the water?
• Bring some comparison into this activity by having a separate station with ordinary beach sand. How is magic sand different from ordinary beach sand?

What To Do

Preparation

Pour some water into each child’s container, and magic sand into a separate cup or container. Provide spoons.

Activity

1. Feel the magic sand, then pour or spoon it into the water, a bit at a time. Watch what happens.
2. Try to sculpt the sand underwater!
3. Try to lift the sand back out of the water. How does it feel?

Tip: Pour the water off the sand, then pour the sand out onto a paper towel. Leave sand overnight to dry thoroughly, it can be used again and again for endless science ‘magic’!

Extensions

• Pour the water off the sand, then pour the sand out onto a paper towel. It can be used again and again for endless science 'magic'!
• Pour magic sand into water using a funnel to create underwater 'sand snakes'.
• Try to form water beads! Some water sticks together in these little beads (see above picture) when it's 'trapped' on top of magic sand.
• This activity can be fun to do in conjunction with the Sandcastles station.