Sandcastle building can get messy so why shouldn’t this activity?  Using recycled items,  papier mache, strips of newspaper/flyers, and some paint, we are going to have fun creating this in just 5 simple steps!

Sandcastle Craft

Materials

Flour

Water

Old flyers ripped into strips

Plastic bowl

Recyclable boxes and tubes (we had plenty of these thanks to extra snacks and Amazon packages)

Masking Tape

Paint

Glue

Decorations to glue onto castle (optional)

Collecting recyclables

Take several days and see what you accumulate for your building materials.  As mentioned above, these can come from multiple sources and anything can be used.  

Once you have some pieces for the main structure, feel free to get started.  You could always add other items as things are used up in the house.  Those toilet paper rolls don’t last long with my family!

Building the sandcastle

Have fun and be creative.  There’s no wrong way to do this.  While my little one built the sandcastle, older siblings were a great help using the masking tape to keep the structure together.

Making the papier mache

This is super easy and quick to make.  In your plastic bowl mix approximately ½ cup flour and warm water, use your hands, and remove as many lumps as possible.  Only add enough water to keep the mixture thick.  

Papier mache time

Since this part can definitely be a little messy, take this opportunity to take it outdoors.  

To minimize the mess, have your little ones use their fingers as scissors to remove excess before applying.  I would do two layers of papier mache to ensure it is solid.

Allow time to dry completely.  If the sun is shining, this can take no time at all.  For us, this was a great break for lunch. 

Clean up time!  Put your castle  in a safe spot and have your little ones clean themselves up by splashing with the hose or sprinkler!

It’s really like a day at the beach.  Sandcastles, water, and sun!  

Decorating

This is the final step of our masterpiece.  Choose a fun colour or two or three of dollar store paint and happy painting.  

In order to avoid some fighting, I made sure each child had their own brush and section to paint.  This kept things simple and tear free.  Whew! 

Once completely dry, feel free to use those old seashells from a family trip or stones found at your local store and glue to decorate your sandcastle.  This is optional but my little ones felt their craft needed just one more thing!  

Voila!  You are now done!  Your kiddos were kept busy, had fun and learned to work together to create this special family memory and sandcastle craft we will treasure.

We had a blast..  I hope you do too!

XO

Joanna

Joanna is a full-time teacher and part-time mompreneur with a personalized and custom gift shop (follow her on Facebook). She has a passion for writing and loves creating wonderful memories for her 3 beautiful children. As a huge fan of Ms. Frizzle from the Magic School Bus, Joanna lives by her biggest lesson: “Take chances, make mistakes, and get messy!”

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