It's time to head outside and play!

And it's summer, so you know what that means: we can play in the sand!

Maybe you've had a chance to play in some sand, too — in your own yard, or at school,

or even at the beach.

If you have, you know it can be a lot of fun to play in!

Sometimes I like to let sand flow through my fingers, or have Squeaks bury my hands

or feet.

But one of the coolest things you can do with sand is build stuff.

[Squeaks squeaks]

Yes, Squeaks, like sandcastles!

But it can be tricky to build a sandcastle that doesn't just crumble away.

Big sand piles are fun too, but they're no castle!

So here are four tips to help you build an awesome sandcastle!

Step one: use plenty of water.

Water is the key to building a great sandcastle, because sand that's too dry doesn't stick

together at all!

And here's why: if you could look at sand closely — I mean, really closely — you

would see that it's made of tiny pieces called grains.

If you try to build a sandcastle out of dry sand, the grains just fall apart.

There's nothing to hold them together.

But if you mix water in with the sand, then something really neat happens.

Little drops of water — so small that you can't see them — squeeze in between the

grains of sand.

The teeny water droplets stick to the grains of sand, and form what are kind of like little

bridges between the grains.

These bits of water act like glue to hold the grains of sand together.

If you don't use enough water, there won't be enough of these bridges, and the sand will

fall apart.

So make sure you mix plenty of water in with the sand that you're going to use to build

your sandcastle.

Step two: give your sand a way—and some time—to drain.

Draining the sand means making sure there's not too much water in it.

If it starts to look more like soup, that means there's too much water for those little

bridges to form, and the grains of sand won't stick together.

So you should let the extra water drain from the sand before you start on your castle.

That might mean using a tool with holes in it, so that the extra water can get out.

Or you might want to just let your sand sit for a few minutes before you get started.

Once the extra water is drained out of the sand, you're ready to move on to …

Step number three: make the castle's base.

Every sturdy building, whether it's a skyscraper or a sandcastle, needs a sturdy base, or bottom.

If the bottom isn't strong enough to hold it up, it could crumble or tip over!

A good sandcastle base is made out of tightly packed sand.

So, if you're using a bucket or cup, make sure you press on the sand to pack it in tightly.

And if you don't have a bucket or cup, no problem!

Just make a pile of sand, and press on it as hard as you can.

Then, add more sand on top, and press again.

Do this over and over until you have a nice, big pile of sand that's tightly packed.

Step 4: use your imagination to make your castle!

Once you have a nice, sturdy base, you're ready to shape your castle!

You can use your hands and fingers to shape the walls.

Then, you're ready to add towers, seashells, or anything you can imagine!

Just make sure not to add too much sand on top of your base, or your castle might crumble.

And no matter what kind of castle you build, don't forget to have fun while you're doing

it!

I can't wait to keep working on my sandcastle and make it even more awesome!

If you build a sandcastle of your own, we'd love to see it!

Grab a grownup and send us an email at kids@scishow.com.

In the meantime, don't forget to hit the subscribe button, and we'll see you next

time here at the Fort!

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