Sand Sculpting is a growing art and recreational trend taking over the world. There are dozens of festivals and museums that have been bringing in hundreds of thousands of beach lovers to the beach. You too can become a Sand Artist for they day. Get creative, bring your family and friends, and make some new memories!
Recently, our team joined an experienced sand artist to make a gigantic sand octopus sculpture. We learned a lot about the process and the tools you need to make great sand art on the beach and want to teach you what we learned. Here are 5 tips to make sand art while at the beach.
Tip #1: Bring a Bucket (or Two)
You will need a lot of sand. And a lot of water. A couple of buckets can double up for both sand and water to create the structure and to pack down by getting it wet. But don't make them too big - sand and water can be heavy to carry. Remember, you're here to have a good time. If you have little ones make sure they also have a kid-sized bucket to help out!
Tip #2: Bring lots of sunscreen and wear a hat
Whether you're making a 1ft by 1ft castle, or attempting to create a 6ft sand-creature, you will be working harder in the sun than on your typical beach-lounging day. With summer temperatures easily hitting the 90s and the summer sun scorching beach goers - make sure you have plenty of sunscreen on and a hat. Take breaks in the shade or under an umbrella. When you get too hot, hop into the ocean for a cool off!
Tip #3: Bring friends and recruit other beach-goers
A large sand sculpture could take hours to complete and it can be a great teamwork effort. If any passer-bys appear interested in your creation, invite them to participate. You might make new friends and be able to build something bigger and more impressive than you could do on your own. If you really want to bring a crowd - announce your event ahead of time online - tag your artistic friends and ones who have a knack for photography.
Tip #4: Bring refreshing drinks and stay hydrated
Staying hydrated is important if you're going to be building sand castles on the beach. Bring a cooler if you're bringing friends. If you're going at it alone - pack a bag with some ice and make sure a couple of your drinks have some electrolytes as well as water.
Tip #5: Take photos, better yet, take a time-lapse of your sand art
Bring a tripod and set your camera up to take a time-lapse video of your work to see the progress. You'll also be able to show it off later on your socials. Unfortunately this is one thing we forgot to do because working on the art was such an engaging and all encompassing activity.
Don't know how to do a time-lapse? Remember to use the back camera and keep the camera still. Here's a link to the time-lapse instructions on a Samsung phone and here's some instructions for an iPhone time-lapse video.
Making Sand Art on the Beach - Kids Friendly and Adults Friendly
Creating beautiful works of art in the sand can be a satisfying way to spend quality time with family, express yourself through creativity, and unlock your inner artist. Its a great way to engage the little ones, the teen ones, and the adult-but-still-a-child ones. Its a great reason to go out to the beach and it can even be challenging, if you set your mind on making something very complex and impressive. Its always such a beautiful experience to stroll on the beach and find someone's sand shark, sand castle, or sand abstraction. With the summer in full swing, its time to make your artistic mark on the sand.
Bonus Tip: Swordy Moon Bags are great for beach gear to the Beach!
Swordy Moon bags are made for the sand, the sun, and the surf. They are water-resistant and made with marine grade materials which means they don't rust and stay beautiful and durable after heavy beach use.
Fun Fact, one of the first users of the original Swordy Moon Bags used the bag to carry sand from the beach to his aquarium!