All of the Best Kinetic Sand Sets
If you have been in any toy aisle, seen any toy commercials, or have kids old enough to ask for things, there is a good chance you’ve heard of kinetic sand. It’s become extremely popular lately and surprisingly, there is great reasoning behind its huge following. I am going to show you guys some of the very best kinetic sand sets available today!
What is Kinetic Sand?
Before you can pick the right kinetic sand sets for your kids, it’s pretty important to know what the heck this stuff is. Trust me when I say, it is not just another play-doh!
You know that amazing feeling when you go to the beach and just can’t stop playing with the sand? Squishing it between your fingers, picking it up and letting it fall back down? Watching the kids have a blast molding shapes, building castles, and burying their siblings? It’s all so much fun until, of course, it’s time to pack up and it seems like the sand is impossible to get rid of.
No matter how many times you brush it away, how many baby wipes you take to their hands, it just seems to cling to nearly everything!
Kinetic sand fixes that! According to their website, the ingredients in kinetic sand are 98% sand and 2% magic, which is what makes this awesome stuff mold and stick to itself perfectly without sticking to the kids. I probably wouldn’t have believed the hype if it weren’t for us trying it out ourselves!
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Our Favorite Kinetic Sand Sets
1. Beach Day Fun Kinetic Sand Sets
This was our very first venture into the world of kinetic sand sets. The price point was perfect for trying out something brand new and the fact that it came with molds and tools made it a perfect all-in-one option for us!
This is a great option as a first set or for any child who absolutely adores building castles at the beach. The box serves as the “play tray” for this set, so make sure to be careful when opening! It’s sturdy and decorated with seashells on the inside to give it a beach vibe!
2. Beach Sand Kingdom Playset
As you can likely imagine, this is pretty similar to the set mentioned above but on a larger scale. This would be perfect if you have a few kids that will be getting in on the action, as there will definitely be more sand to go around.
This kinetic sand set comes with 3 lbs of sand whereas the above set comes with just 12 oz. Just like with the set above, the packaging doubles as the play space for this one as well!
3. The Sandcastle Set (in Blue)
One of our favorite things about kinetic sand is that you don’t have to stick to the same old “sand” color! There are wide varieties of colors available from the traditional brown sand color to blue, purple, pink, green, and even some that glitter and shine.
This kit was our most recent addition to our collection! It is kind of in-between the two featured above. It comes with 1 pound of blue sand as well as multiple molding tools. This particular set also comes with a beach-themed sand castle tray which, as a mom, is one of my favorite parts about it! We actually utilize this tray for all of our kinetic sand play now. We keep colors in separate corners!
4. The Bake Shoppe Kinetic Sand Set
There is no doubt that girls and boys alike love all of the creative things play-doh has come out with to go along with their products which is why I loved finding this bake shop kinetic sand set! Kids can make cookies, cupcakes, decorative designs, and anything else they can dream up!
This set comes with pink and yellow sand that can be used separately and mixed together to create orange! The #1 thing that sets this apart from Play-doh sets for me: The sand doesn’t stick to all of the molds and dry up on them!!!
5. Folding Sand Box with 2 Lbs of Sand
This is very likely to be the next purchase in our household, the kinetic sand folding sand box! If you want to buy one kit that includes just about everything you can imagine for hours of fun building sandcastles (without ever visiting a beach) this has it all!
You’ll get 2 lbs of sand, a folding case to hold it all that doubles as a play area, 4 sand raking tools, and 5 molds! This is one of the best all-in-one options if you want a large amount of sand and a really solid storage plan!
6. Dino Dig Playset (Amazon Exclusive)
The Dino Dig Kinetic Sand Set is such an awesome idea! I just ordered this as an “end of the school year” gift for my little guy! Last time we went to the beach, I couldn’t tear my child away from the act of hunting for seashells!
Hours and hours and hours of brushing through sand looking for seashells and cleaning them off, ever so meticulously. If you have a kid who is anything like mine, this is absolutely perfect!
7. Mermaid Playset
This kinetic sand set comes with 10 sand tools, 6 sparkly gems, turquoise glitter, Play Mat and Mermaid stickers. Also a Rainbow Mermaid Play Mat for clean play and easy to pack sand away in box for next time, no mess!
8. Kinetic Sand, Dig & Demolish Truck Playset
2-IN-1 CONSTRUCTION TRUCK AND BRICK MOLD: Scoop or crush with the truck’s detachable tools! Mold bricks and crush them with the jackhammer tool. Clip on the scooper front loader and clean up your construction site!
9. Kinetic Sand Sandisfying-Set
Feel the difference with Kinetic Sand, the original magical, mouldable and mesmerising sand. Its unique formula makes it stick together so it easily shapes and moulds. Once you pick Kinetic Sand up, you won’t be able to put it down!
10. Sandwhirlz Playset
The Sandwhirlz Playset has over 10 tools, including 2 extruder shapes and 6 shape shifters with unique designs to fully customize your sand effects! Mix and match for endless play!
11. Shimmering Amethyst Kinetic Sand
Shimmering kinetic sand is one of my personal favorites! This isn’t an actual kinetic sand set, just the sand itself, but in beautiful colors. If you have a kiddo that can’t get enough glitter and sparkle in their day, they will love these!
They come in shimmering amethyst, emerald green, black onyx, and blue sapphire. We love adding pops of shimmer to our creations with these!
Where to Buy Kinetic Sand Sets
My son recently came upon some kinetic sand sets in Target and seeing that the price was pretty reasonable, I decided to go ahead and splurge. Since then, we have bought 3 more sets from Amazon!
This is one of those toys that the parents loving playing with him! We have also seen kinetic sand at other major retailers such as Walmart.
In our experience, the selection of Kinetic sand sets in retail stores isn’t the largest. You can usually find a basic playset and a bulk bag of the sand but if you want any of the more adventurous sets, like the ones featured above, your best bet is going to be Amazon.
The prices are fantastic and you won’t have to hunt from store to store. We definitely made this mistake at first.
Is Kinetic Sand Messy?
I must admit, I can be a bit of a neat freak, especially when it comes to play-doh and slime and other things of that nature. Although I am definitely a firm believer in not crying over spilled milk, I also try to avoid messes whenever possible.
When it comes to messier play, I am always very strict on the “kitchen table only” rule in our house. With play-doh, we have a special mat I get out for keeping things clean and all of the residues off of surrounding surfaces.
That being said, my 7-year-old is allowed to play with kinetic sand in our carpeted living room floor. I know, you probably think I am crazy right now but I was just as shocked as you at how incredibly clean this stuff is.
Sure, it’s not going to be this way with a 2 or 3-year-old who run the risk of throwing the stuff, but with an older kiddo? It is an amazingly clean alternative to play-doh, slime, putty, and all of those messy toys.
Playing with Kinetic Sand
Whenever my 7-year-old decides to play with the sand, he sits down with the sand tray in front of him and builds and builds for hours while watching cartoons or simply talking up a storm while I work in the background.
It’s worked out perfectly for us and the times when he has gotten a little pinch or two of sand on the carpet, it’s been so easy to just pinch it right up or run a vacuum over if I REALLY felt the need.
Kinetic Sand Tip
While kinetic sand should never dry out, it is possible that it may lose some of its softness. If the sand in your kinetic sand sets ever seems to lose it soft, touchable texture, simply drip just a few small drops of water onto the sand.
Then, knead the sand with your hands until all of the water is absorbed. Magically, your sand will be returned to its original texture!
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