Father's Day: Make a Mini Sand Castle Together

 

            Today's Snack: You can "dig" in the "sand" for treats! Between two pieces of waxed paper, crush vanilla wafers with the bottom of a glass. Carefully put some of the crumbs into a small clear glass. Push a few gummy treats here and there in the "sand," and then top with more vanilla wafer "sand" to the top. You can put a dollop of whipped cream on the top and one more gummy treat.

 

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Supplies:

 

A board, box bottom or other sturdy base

3 C. beach sand or play sand

1 ½ C. cornstarch

1 ½ C. water

Newspaper

Seashells, fake jewels or other small items

 

Dads love to build, almost as much as they love making memories with their children. With this idea, you can do both!

 

This Father's Day, instead of buying your dad a tie or golf balls, why not work together to create a really neat sand castle? It can be your kitchen table centerpiece all summer, and help you smile as you think back on the fun you had making it together.

 

Who needs a beach, anyway? You can get the ingredients for this sand castle1,000 miles away from the nearest beach. You can double, triple or quadruple the recipe to make as big a castle as you would like.

 

Or maybe, instead of a castle, you'd like to sculpt an animal out of sand, or your family's last name, or perhaps your father's favorite sports team's logo. Brainstorm together, first, what you're going to make.

 

Combine sand and cornstarch in a large pot. Stir in water. Cook over low heat, stirring constantly. When mixture thickens, remove from stove. Cool.

 

Spoon mixture onto the newspaper. Mold castles. Add seashells and other treasures. Let dry.

 

Make sure to scrape ALL the sand out of the large pot into the wastebasket. Don't let it go down the disposal or get on the floor.

 

And make sure to have a picture taken of you, your dad, and the sand creation you made together this Father's Day!