What Age Kids is Kinetic Sand Safe For?
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What Age Kids is Kinetic Sand Safe For?

If you’ve seen videos on YouTube of people playing with sand, then you know how appealing it can be. But, if you’ve never actually used it before, you might have a lot of questions, especially regarding the safety side of things. 

kinetic sand play
Kinetic sand is safer for not-so-young kids

Kinetic sand is best used by kids over the age of three. You basically want to feel confident that your child isn’t going to eat the sand if you look away for a moment.

In this article, I’m going to try and cover all your kinetic sand safety questions. However, please be aware that we are not medical professionals. If your child has swallowed any kinetic sand, you should seek professional advice.

What Is Kinetic Sensory Sand?

Kinetic sand is a really cool sensory toy.

It’s designed to feel and act like wet sand does all the time. The result is a type of sand that sticks together, allowing you to let it slowly flow through your fingers or build sandcastles with it. 

This effect is achieved by combining ultra-fine grain sand with a polymer called dimethicone or polydimethylsiloxane. While this might sound like a scary-sounding chemical, it’s a safe and commonly used one. There’s a good chance that you’ll find it on the list of ingredients of your diaper rash cream or a tub of silly putty.

Is Kinetic Sand Messy?

From a parent’s point of view, one of the best features of kinetic sand is that it doesn’t get everywhere in the same way that play sand does.

Whenever my kids play in the sandpit, it means we’ll be finding sand everywhere for the next few days or even weeks. That’s because the tiny grains of sand don’t stick together. But, they do get caught in clothing and to the small amount of moisture on the skin.

Kinetic sand sticks to itself and not to the skin. This means that you can plunge your hands into kinetic sand, and when you pull them out, they’ll be clean. It is a good idea to play with this stuff in a large box or tub, just to stop the smaller bits from getting lost over time.

So it’s not zero mess, but it is a super easy clean-up when you’re done. And compared to actual play sand, I find it a dream!

If your kids have played with it on a table, then it’s effortless to tidy up. You just clump the big bits up into a ball. You can then use that ball to pick up the smaller bits until you’re all clean. It’s quick and easy. If any ends up lost in the carpet, your vacuum cleaner should be able to handle it with little problem.

Is Kinetic Sand Toxic If Swallowed?

The additive in kinetic sand, dimethicone, is considered to be minimally toxic. What this means is that your child won’t be poisoned if they eat it. So while kinetic sand is non toxic, it’s still not going to be good for you.

What Happens If My Child Eats Kinetic Sand?

While kinetic sand isn’t toxic, there can be medical repercussions if your child eats it. The consistency of it makes it a choking hazard, even in small amounts.

child playing with colorful kinetic sand at home
Kinetic sand is a lot of fun, but we need to be mindful of risks

If your child eats a large amount of kinetic sand, it can cause constipation, and in severe cases, it can cause a bowel obstruction. If this happens, it is best to consult with a medical professional. Poison Control has a useful online tool for quick advice, which can be an excellent place to start from there. It will give you advice on what action you might need to take.

Is Kinetic Sand Toxic To Dogs?

If dogs eat a large amount of kinetic sand, it can affect them the same way as small children. If they do consume some, you should seek the advice of your vet. As such, it’s best to make sure they don’t have access to it. If their intestines do get blocked, it will likely require an operation to fix the problem.

What Do I Do If My Child Gets Sand In Their Ear?

If you’re worried about how to get sand out of an ear, the most important thing you need to know is that you shouldn’t try to use a cotton swab to get it out. A swab can just push the sand deeper.

The trick is to turn your child’s head to the side so their ear is pointing towards the ground. You then want to pull their ear back and down. This straightens out the ear canal and helps the sand fall out. 

If your child complains of a burning sensation, then you’ll need to seek medical help.

What Age Group Is Kinetic Sand For?

A lot of people ask, “Is kinetic sand safe for toddlers?”. The answer is not really, and definitely not without supervision. Kinetic sand is advised for kids over the age of three. This advisory is based on the fact that you can trust most three-year-olds to not eat something if they’re told it’s bad.

So you can use that information to help you judge if your child is ready for it, as some three-year-old kids might not be.

Kinetic Sand, Sandbox Set Kids Toy with 1lb All-Natural Blue and 3 Molds, Sensory Toys for Kids Ages 3 and Up

As far as an upper age limit goes, there really isn’t one. Kinetic sand is amazingly fun to play with for people of all ages. If you’re in any doubt, you can check out quite how many YouTube videos there are of people playing with the stuff. Most of them are aimed at adults, which shows you how broad the appeal is.

If you want to help your children get the most out of playing with kinetic sand, you can give them some tools that help them manipulate the sand. Things like cookie cutters and plastic knives are great, as are sand castle molds and miniature toy spades.

Can Kinetic Sand Be Left Out Or Outside?

One of the most valuable properties of Kinetic sand is that it never dries out. You can leave it out on the countertop, unsealed, and it won’t ever dry out. It will work just the same. This makes storing it really easy and allows you to come back to it time and time again. 

If your home is very low in humidity, you might find that the consistency changes a little, and it’s no longer quite as good at sticking together. If this happens, you can quickly bring it back to life with one or two drops of water worked into it.

Outside Storage

There is no reason why you couldn’t keep kinetic sand outside. However, it would be advisable to keep it in a secure place, like a sealed box. If eaten, it would be dangerous to any animals that got into it.

The other reason you would want to keep your kinetic sand cover when it’s outside is to protect it from the rain. Kinetic sand is pretty good at absorbing water. When this happens, it loses many of the properties that make it fun to play with. You can dry it out to return it to its original state, but this can be harder to do when you’re outside.

Can You Put Kinetic Sand In A SandBox?

sandbox filled with kinetic sand and sand toys
Kinetic sand is more expensive than regular play sand

There is no practical reason why you couldn’t use kinetic sand in a sandbox. The only reason you might choose not to is the cost. Kinetic sand is significantly more expensive than play sand, including safe sand alternatives.

If you are on the hunt for the best sand for a sandbox, there are loads of alternatives to play sand. Most of them are more inexpensive than large amounts of kinetic sand.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is kinetic sand better than Play Doh?

Kinetic sand is a different experience from Play-Doh. It’s something that might be new to your child, which can make it more exciting. A significant advantage of Play-Doh is that it’s pretty cheap and easy to make at home. On the other hand, a substantial advantage of kinetic sand is that it doesn’t dry out.

What is the difference between magic sand and kinetic sand?

Magic sand is best played underwater. While submerged in water, you can shape and mold it into anything you like, and it holds together, just like when you build castles at the beach. But as soon as you pour off the water, magic sand instantly returns to being completely dry sand. This is because it repels water.

Kinetic sand, in comparison, maintains the appearance and texture of wet sand. Both are pretty fun and interesting to play with, but kinetic sand will probably get more use in most households.

Is moon sand the same as kinetic sand?

Moon sand is a sand mixture that is really good at holding a shape. While kinetic sand will slowly revert back to its relaxed state. Moon sand is static where kinetic sand is, well, kinetic!

Kinetic Sand Scents
Kinetic Sand Scents
Fun kinetic sands that comes in new colors and scents!

Last update on 2024-03-12 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API