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Free Sand and Desert Activities, Rhymes, Printables, and Sand and Desert Book Suggestions

In The Sand
Original Author Unknown

I dig holes in the sand with my fingers. (Wiggle fingers.)
I dig holes in the sand with my toes. (Wiggle toes.)
I pour some water into the holes, (Pretend to pour water.)
And I wonder where it goes. (Put arms out to the sides, bend elbows, and turn palms up.)

Sand Printables, Coloring Pages, and Resources

Cactus Coloring Page	In the Desert Drawing	Lily and Twiggi built a Sandcastle	Iguana Song and Youtube video

Where Does the Sand Come From? Science Lesson

Together look at a picture of a beach and of grains of sand. Ask children if they have ever been to a beach. Ask them to think of what the sand looked like and felt like. Ask children where all this sand come from and how long it has been here.

Explain that almost every grain of sand was once part of a big rock or shell. The sand is bits and pieces of rock that have been worn away by wind, water, and other weather in a process called erosion. Heat and cold caused cracks in the rocks, and wind and water chipped away at them. In fast moving streams, water tumbles stones along, slowly grinding them into sand. The sand accumulates in the lower parts of the stream. At the sea shore, waves crashes against the cliffs and breaks up the rock or shells into grains of sand, forming sandy beaches.

Hand out magnifying glasses. Allow children to look through the magnifying glasses at the pieces of the sand.

Sand table
Add some different size rocks and pebbles in your sand table and let children sift through the sand to find the rocks. Let them sort the rocks by size, shape, or color.

Where is Sand?
By Erin Lassiter
(Tune: Where is Thumpkin?)

Oh, where is sand, where is sand?
Here I am. Here I am.
I'm on the desert floor, on the desert floor,
under the sun, under the sun.

Oh, where is sand, where is sand?
Here I am. Here I am.
I'm on the ocean floor, on the ocean floor,
under the water, under the water.

Oh, where is sand, where is sand?
Here I am. Here I am.
I formed this rock, formed this rock,
It's called sandstone; it's called sandstone.

Oh, where is sand, where is sand?
Here I am. Here I am.
I'm up in the air, up in the air,
on the wind, on the wind.

Oh, where is sand, where is sand?
Here I am. Here I am.
I'm on the shore of a lake, the shore of a lake,
soft and warm; soft and warm.

Oh, where is sand, where is sand?
Here I am. Here I am.
I'm sitting in the sandbox, sitting in the sandbox,
waiting to play, waiting to play.

Build Mini-Sandcastles at Home

What you need: Sand Cream of Tartar Cornstarch Measuring cup Cooking pot Strong small cups Plastic spoons 8 x 10 cardboard squares Shells, twigs, rocks, leaves, beads, etc.

What you do: Mix 3 cups sand, 2 cups cornstarch, two tablespoon of cream of tartar, and 1 1/2 cup of water in a cooking pot. Heat everything up in the pot over medium heat until the mixture becomes dough-like and difficult to stir. Let dough cool down. The result will be a sticky dough that stays bound together when dry. Let children build mini-sandcastles on top of cardboard bases by packing the sand dough into cups or other containers and tipping them over to make towers. Children can decorate their completed towers with shells, beads, twigs, rocks, leaves, and any other handy materials found in the classroom or outside. The castles will take a few days to harden completely.

Sand and Desert Books

A Desert Habitat (Introducing Habitats)	The Desert Is Theirs	Desert Song (pb)	Dig, Wait, Listen: A Desert Toad's Tale	Sammy and the Magical Sandbox
Sand to Stone: And Back Again	Sandbox Scientist: Real Science Activities for Little Kids	Welcome to the Sea of Sand