Moon Sand
Item #MON-100/112

Originally designed as a product that acts like wet beach sand without the mess, Moon Sand™ has many unique properties. You can squish it, shape it, and mold it in shallow containers. It never dries out so it can be used over and over.

Classroom Ideas
1. Provide students with a small sample (same color) of each of the following:

Moon Sand™ - #MON-100 (red) or #MON-112 (blue)
Magic Sand™ - #MS-2RED or #MS-2BLU
Red or Blue Dyed Sand (available from a tropical fish store)

Ask students to write descriptions that would allow another person to identify each of the three samples.

2. There are many recipes that suggest you can make your own Moon Sand™. Try the following recipe and see how your homemade "moon sand" compares to the commercial Moon Sand™.

a) To 1 cup of cornstarch add ½ cup of cold water.
b) Mix thoroughly together for several minutes until it is of a smooth consistency.
c) Use your fingers to gradually mix in 2 cups of sand, a small amount at a time.
d) Compare your "moon sand" with the commercial "Moon Sand."
e) When done, keep it in a sealed container
f) Optional coloring: food coloring or powdered KoolAid

3. Many Internet sites suggest that commercial Moon Sand™ contains cornstarch. This can be tested with tincture of iodine (available from CVS). In one test tube shake a small amount of cornstarch with water and in another test tube shake a small amount of Moon Sand™ with water. Add a drop of tincture of iodine to each test tube. What do you observe? Tincture of iodine is a good test for the presence of starch. Try testing crackers, flour, paper, and other items that you think might contain starch.

Explanation
Invented in Sweden, Moon Sand™ has become one of the most popular arts and crafts products in 2007, winning many awards. By choosing to not patent the process for making Moon Sand™, the manufacturers have avoided revealing its composition. The ingredients remain proprietary. However, they state that it conforms to European and American safety standards EN71 and ASTM D4236. It does NOT contain: wheat, gluten, milk, egg, casein or peanut ingredients.

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