How to build the perfect sand castle

Here are a few tips to help you build a winning sandcastle with your family.

1. Get the right tools

It’s quite simple really. All you need is sand, water, a few buckets of different sizes, spades, and anything that can be used to carve, smooth, and finish the sand. A paint scraper and paint stirrer or even a few baking tools like measuring spoons, spatulas, and plastic knives will work perfectly. Make it fun for the kids and give them each their own kit to complete their section of work.

2. Get digging

If you plan on building a serious sandcastle, best you start digging away. Dig up as big a mound of sand as you can – this will be the base. Add water to the mound and stomp on it until it’s packed tightly and is stable enough to hold your sandcastle creation. You also need to provide drainage for water, so a moat around your castle is necessary. 

3. Go high

Start at the highest point of your castle. All you need for this is a large bucket with the bottom cut off. Turn it upside, fill with roughly 1/3 sand and add water. Mix the sand well and continue until you’ve filled the bucket completely. Once done, remove it and pack the sand tightly. Continue building upwards until you’ve reached the height you wanted. Once you’ve completed the highest tower, continue building your smaller towers and connecting bridges, ensuring the sand is packed tight enough to remain stable.

4. Make it pretty

Now comes the fun part! Use all the tools you’ve brought along and give your castle the finishing touches. You can create windows with spoons or ice cream scoops, use knives, spatulas and scrapers to smooth walls and create patterns in the sand. Don’t forget to pack a few plastic straws to blow away any excess sand. Let your kids’ ideas run wild and allow them to decorate the castle with bits of fabric, brightly coloured stones or even little flags or hang some bunting. A little imagination might just win your family the sandcastle building prize!