The One and Only Kinetic Sand {Rated by kids, for kids}

The One and Only Kinetic Sand- Rated by kids, for kids is sponsored by Spin Master.

We recently signed on to do the Kinetic Sand throwdown! Tasked with testing how a variety of products stood up to kids’ play, we decided that we’d do a little video and set up the three mini Martin kids to play, test, mold, stretch and do all the things that kids do with moldable products. For reference- my kids are ages 13, 11 and 9. Products included in the challenge were labeled as ages 3+ except for one, which was 2+.

As I write this post, 2/3 of my minis are outside playing with some of the test materials yet again, as they’ve been doing almost round the clock since we did the challenge.

The One and Only Kinetic Sand {Rated by kids, for kids}

The Kinetic Sand Throwdown Challenge setup:

• 3 kids
• 3 blindfolds
• 1 table
• 5 products – same toy category, different brands:
  • Kinetic Sand
  • Play-Doh
  • Nickelodeon Gak
  • Mad Matter
  • National Geographic Ultimate Dino Sand
• Supplies we used:
  • balloons
  • kid-safe knives
  • plastic cookie cutters (to test how molding went)

The Kinetic Sand Throwdown Challenge Objective:

The kids explored each product in both a balloon and container, all while blindfolded. Five mini ‘stations’ were set up on the folding table outside to test the five different products (just in case of a big mess, plus Dad was home and he would send us right outside if we started indoors…).

The Competitors:

Kinetic Sand: Kinetic Sand stimulates children’s creative skills, allowing them to create anything they can imagine over and over again. With Kinetic Sand, you can make whatever you dream of with a giant array of multi colored sand, from brilliant neon colors to shimmering metallic ones that sparkle and shine! It’s the squeezable sand you can’t put down.

My kids know Play-Doh by smell instantly.

Gak is like slime, and slime is super fun, but it really doesn’t stay in a molded shape well. It also comes in tiny containers.

The National Geographic Ultimate Dino Sand playset includes actual prehistoric dinosaur poop and that will become a topic of conversation at many meals after this discovery.

The Kinetic Sand Challenge Throwdown Results:

Stuff that is moldable and squishy and stretchy is FUN. Period. All products win in that regard, and color doesn’t matter when you’re squishing and molding things.

Not all molding products are created equal. 

Although all of the products had great play value, offered a sensory experience and all worked pretty much as promised… there was a favorite! Watch our video below and see what the 3 mini Martins had to say about the brands we tested, exactly how we did the test and more!

 

RESULTS ARE IN…DRUM ROLL PLEASE….

The winner is…Kinetic Sand!

Truthfully, while there are many sensory toys out there, there is ONLY ONE Kinetic Sand and it’s made up of 98% sand and 2% magic – easy to shape, mold, and create incredible sand art.

That 2% magic makes a big difference.

In that 2% magic? Allergy free ingredients.  That means kids with gluten, casein and wheat allergies can play with this 100% natural sand! As a mom, this makes ME happy. It means every kid can participate! Kinetic Sand also can help with fine motor skills as a sensory toy. (It can also be a great sensory stress relief toy for parents).

We have plans to purchase a few packages for the kids’ classrooms because this stuff is super fun to play with…and super easy to clean up. I live with a man who despises going to the beach because sand comes home with us and sticks around for all of eternity. THIS sand? It’s magical. Cleans up like a breeze and doesn’t stick to hands, or surfaces, or the cracks between hardwood floor planks. I don’t have to cringe every time someone drops a bit on the floor or uses a cookie cutter or mold with teeny intricate parts because I dread trying to remove the product from the molds. It’s easy cleanup.

Plus, Kinetic Sand doesn’t dry out. Like, ever. That’s some long-term playtime for kids of all ages, in a whole lot of package sizes to suit any budgets! Think how fun those midwinter beach parties will be in classrooms and church groups when you break out a big old package of Kinetic Sand (or three) and let the kids build sand castles!

This is going to be a go to gift and donation during toy drives for many years to come. It inspires kids to be creative, gives them sensory input, allergy free, requires no batteries, doesn’t dry out and doesn’t make the adults crazy with cleanup. It’s great for a huge range of ages and a hit with boys and girls alike!

Where to buy: http://spin-master.co/5uEAgS

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