Sand castle with sandbox hands. Beach architecture: building a sandcastle with a child

What could be better than spending a hot summer day on the beach: soaking up the sun, splashing in warm water, read a book, play ball with the children. But there is a risk that these activities will quickly get bored, and you will want to do something unusual and impressive. Erect beautiful castle made of sand on the seashore is a way to show imagination, entertain children and surprise others. Sand is a unique material from which you can create anything, and for the success of the event, it is worth remembering a few useful tips.

Before doing sand castle, you need to choose a not too crowded place near the water, as running children and dogs can destroy the building. It is advisable to retreat from the water's edge by 1.5-2 meters, depending on the strength of the surf. The weather also matters: a sunny day after rain is best, wind and rain can ruin everything. The first half of the day or afternoon is the most suitable, since building near the water at noon, you can get burned unnoticed. Importance has the quality of sand: it must be homogeneous, without pebbles and shells.

Of course, you can do all the processes by hand, but it is better to arm yourself with simple tools. You will need:

• several buckets or basins;
• blades of different sizes;
• spatula;
• plastic tubes;
• spray;
• shells and stones for decoration.

You also need to take care of sunscreen and hats.

The building material for the future castle must be prepared in a special way: it is best to mix dry sand with water in a ratio of 8:1. It is advisable to do this near the construction site, mixing the components with your hands or with a spatula in a bucket.

Before you build a castle, you need to create a solid foundation:

• mark the boundaries of the building by drawing them on the sand with a spatula or stick;
• pour wet sand exactly in the center of the designated construction site so that the height of the pile is about half a meter;
• tamp the base well, slapping it with your palms to expel all the air.

You can not water the drying sand, as a jet of water can wash away the pile, it is better to moisten it with a spray bottle.

On the base you need to pour a layer of sand corresponding to the size of the future castle. You can lay it out in the form of a pyramid - in the very high point will be the largest tower. Sand should be brought in in small batches and worked quickly with it before it dries.

Having built a pyramid, you need to arm yourself with a convenient spatula and start cutting off the excess. It is better to start work from above so as not to damage the lower parts: gradually form large structural elements. To form round turrets, you can use a simple life hack: carve them with a plastic bottle cut along.

Small details must be drawn very carefully, without waiting for the sand to dry. For this, all the tools that are in the arsenal will come in handy:

• cutting sand with a spatula, form pointed roofs;
• cut windows and doors with plastic sticks;
• draw bricks on the walls and paving stones on the roads;
• window slits and crenellations on towers are conveniently cut with plastic cutlery.

If a lot of sand is cut off, then you can add it by tamping it well. An interesting activity for children, the perimeter will be decorated with figures molded with plastic molds: dolphins, sharks, lions, etc. Dogs can guard the entrance, and a garden can be “planted” from drops of a liquid mixture of water and sand.

The finished castle can be decorated with shells, algae and pebbles. You can pour water into the moat and launch jellyfish. You need to understand that a fragile structure will not stand for a long time, so do not put off taking pictures against its background.

Probably each of us at least once watched how in the summer on the beach children with bright buckets and shovels fiddle in the sand. With enthusiasm they "bake Easter cakes", dig and fill their own "seas" with water, build towers and entire castles.

Probably each of us at least once watched how in the summer on the beach children with bright buckets and shovels fiddle in the sand. With enthusiasm they "bake Easter cakes", dig winding holes, dig and fill their own "seas" with water, build towers and entire castles. Very tiny kids, having filled the molds with sand, sniffing with zeal, try to turn them over without spilling the sand.

Last summer, Danila came to the sea for the first time in his life. Quickly enough, he found friends and girlfriends and built the first sand castle in his life. Here's what he got.

Secret #1

For the construction of the castle, you need to choose a great warm sunny day, preferably after rain the night before. The ideal ratio for construction is 8 parts sand to 1 part water. Pack sand and water tightly in a bucket or plastic box. Turn over and remove the bucket. The preparation is ready. Further sand for construction can be mixed with water and added in small portions to the site.

Secret #2

The water must be comfortable temperature. Not too cold.

Watch a short video on how to mix water with sand and carry the wet sand to the construction site

Secret #3

Shovels are great for digging and scooping sand, but hands are still the best tool for shaping walls and towers. Nothing can handle sand better. Well, a spatula is great for adding a small amount of water from a bucket, forming tunnels, drawing a picture on the walls and the like.

Secret #4

The tallest and most mysterious towers can be built using sand and water in a ratio of one to one. We form a pancake from such a semi-liquid sand porridge, put the next one on it, then another ... The water slowly leaves and the tower grows right before our eyes. Here is an example of a castle built in this way.

Why spend money on clay when you can use beach sand for nothing? Show off your artistic side and create a medieval fantasy by building your own unique sandcastle. Children will be grateful to you (and those who are older will take part in the process with pleasure), you will be able to occupy yourself and the whole company with something while relaxing on the beach, and at the same time impress the girl you like.

Difficulty: moderately easy.

You will need:
- a self-assembled set of tools for building sand castles (what you need and will be convenient, you can always understand during your first experiments by typing various tools that may come in handy “in theory”: you will definitely need sand molds, spatulas, utility knives for fine, filigree carving, brushes, etc.);

Shovel and small scoops;
- sunscreen;
- Internet access (in the absence of imagination);
- paper and pencil;
- more buckets and basins of various shapes and sizes (already with experience).

1. Make a sketch/diagram of the castle you want to build - so you don't have to think about it when the process has already begun, and have all the necessary molds and fixtures for building at hand.

2. On the beach, choose a square patch of sand near the water - but not so close that the waves won't destroy your castle when the tide comes in. Make sure the square of the lot is large enough to suit your plans for the future castle.

3. Dig a hole under the surface of the water, where the sand is dark and sufficiently saturated with moisture, and scoop the sand into a bucket; or bring large buckets of water from the sea/ocean/lake. In theory, it is easier to fill the sand dug next to you into a basin / bucket of water, but here you will get another problem - the sand will be too wet, it will have to be dried a little before use, or it will be more difficult to shape it, besides new portions of wet sand the already created details of the castle will be dripped from the hands. So best option- 2 large containers, one with sand, into which you gradually add water (but here the sand will constantly have to be thoroughly mixed), the other with water.

In any case, having a bucket of water next to you can help dampen the sand a bit if you can't keep up.

4. Dump the wet sand exactly in the center of the area you will be working in.

5. Bring sand in small portions, and work quickly while the sand remains wet - you won’t be able to water the already made parts of the castle with water, and you won’t be able to shape the dry sand, even if it’s small details.

6. Build towers by forming and placing on top of shortbread "patties", approximately the size of thick small pancakes. Put the larger "pancakes" at the very bottom, gradually reducing their diameter slightly towards the top of the turrets, gently shaking the entire pyramid from side to side as you reach new height- so that the sand is compacted and settled. Fasten the individual "pancakes" in each tower by watering them very gently and, if necessary, using a brush or spatula on the "seams" between the pancakes. And again, build each tower separately from and to, so that the sand in the lower layers does not have time to dry and the towers do not fall unfinished.

7. Build walls to connect the towers of your castle together: gently shaking (compacting) and transferring portions of wet sand from hand to hand, giving them the shape of bricks. The resulting bricks are carefully stacked on top of each other so as not to destroy the towers and lower layers.

8. Cut out slits and crenellations on the turrets, upper terraces, and do the same on the walls if desired, using tools such as a small trowel, putty knife, or plastic knives/forks.

9. Dig a large moat around the castle to protect it from encroachment, for example, from rolling waves and dogs.

Additions and warnings:

It is easiest to work with very wet sand, about ¾ of the already "liquid state". If your work speed is not high yet and skills have not been worked out, use a spray to wet the sand, including ready-made parts of the castle - when the castle as a whole becomes too dry or when you need to moisten the sand in a separate area during decorative processing: for in order to cut out a figured part, or smooth out the seams. BUT! The spray should have a good dispersion and not be too powerful, in order to moisten the sand, and not to punch holes in it with a jet! Also, with the help of a spray, you will not be able to make large-scale changes that require that the entire specific part of the castle be damp both outside and inside;

Remember to lightly shake - compact - the sand as you add new levels and layers, otherwise the upper layers can "crush" the lower ones, just as jolts or an accidental blow can destroy your castle;

Another popular method is the drip and drip method, where you squeeze a handful of extremely wet sand in your palm and hold your hand over the building, allowing the sand to drip from above to create fancy fantasy towers;

Happy building!

There are energetic, creative mothers and fathers who find it easy and even joyful to build a sandcastle. Both their hands and their souls lie in such a pastime. But, to be honest, there are not so many such enthusiasts. Often parents do not even know how to approach this fun. We offer a strategy that will definitely help.

Consider motivation. It is important to answer yourself the question: “Why should I waste time on these childish games?” The answers may be different: “To captivate and please your child”, “It is useful for the development of fine motor skills and speech”, or, to be honest: “After all the work, it will turn out beautiful photo that will look great on social media.” Choose the motivation that suits you best.

To make a plan. First of all, you need to understand the concept of future construction. It is better to draw an approximate diagram so that it is clear what to strive for. For example, a castle of three turrets, surrounded by a fortress wall.

Find tenants. Someone has to live in a castle, right? Perhaps a small doll (for example, from Lego sets) or an animal (cat, dog, bear).

Stock up on inventory. You will need molds, buckets (it is desirable that there are several buckets in the set that nest one inside the other), scoops and spatulas, a water container (for example, a spray bottle), a brush, a stack. So, let's start - with the direct participation of children, of course!

Step 1.

Drawing by Irina Dedusheva

We choose the most suitable building plot on the beach - not far from the sea, but not quite close, so that the water from the tide does not destroy our work prematurely. Smooth it out with a spatula. With a spatula or hands, we pour a bunch of wet sand. Lightly tamp it down and, if it dries quickly, wet it with a spray bottle or bottle.

Step 2

Drawing by Irina Dedusheva

Let's start building the first tower. We take a large bucket, pour sand into it and make a “kitchen”. We carefully put the next Easter cake from a smaller bucket on it. To smooth the gaps between the parts of the pyramid, carefully pour them with water from a spray bottle and touch up with a brush or a stack. If the building is stable, you can add a couple more "floors". Here is our tower.

Step 3

Drawing by Irina Dedusheva

We can build the second tower in a different way, more conservative. We make “pancakes” with our hands and put them one on top of the other. The tower must have a conical

figurative shape, therefore, as we gain height, we slightly reduce the diameter of the upper "pancakes". Perhaps this building will turn out to be less beautiful and even than the previous one, but more stable.

Step 4

Drawing by Irina Dedusheva

Why not build a third tower in a very innovative way? To do this, you need a two-liter plastic bottle. We cut it in half - we get a blank like a funnel. We will prepare a wet small pile of sand and press it on top with our homemade mold, slightly turning it in a circle. We remove the bottle - and we have a long turret with a small dome. We rake off excess sand from it.

Step 5

Drawing by Irina Dedusheva

Using the stack, we make windows: we draw squares and slightly push them inward, as if making a tiny depression - a room inside. How many windows you need is up to the child and you to decide. This may depend on the number of residents. Finished towers need to be connected to each other so that they become a full-fledged castle. To do this, pour wet sand between the turrets and carefully form walls or ceilings.

Step 6

Drawing by Irina Dedusheva

And finally, it is necessary to protect the castle with a fortress wall. We circle a conditional circle or square, as it is more convenient. And along this line we line up tightly in a row Easter cakes from buckets of the same size. The seams between them can then be removed with a brush or decorated with shells. It will turn out beautiful!