Spending time by the water this spring? If so, test your sand savvy and build something new!

Far from child’s play, the sand at your local beach is waiting to be explored and shaped into one-of-a-kind creations both simple and larger than life. If you’re searching for ideas to try, look no further than today’s blog!

Classic castle

Who says castles—sand castles, that is—are antiquated? We think it’s fun to start with the simple structure of the very same sort of castles you built as a kid. If you don’t have castle molds on hand, it’s easy to build your castle with a bit of resourcefulness—turn empty cups into perfectly-shaped castle towers, and use small tools like leaves or drift wood to etch careful details and markings onto the finished masterpiece.

Familiar buildings

While a traditional castle is the go-to sand structure to try, you can do the same building process with building you’re a little more familiar with. Build a sandy replica of your own home or favorite place to shop, for example, or replicate the feel of your backyard pool by filling your sand hole with water. It’s a fun, more modern twist on sand construction that will keep anyone—adults included—occupied for the entirety of their beach outing.

Fictional friends….

The world of fiction offers you a truly limitless range of characters to carve out in sand sculpture form—and for especially familiar faces, you’re sure to earn many an impressed look or expression of awe at your work from fellow beachgoers. Talking dogs, wizards, Jedi or even figures from ancient fiction like Zeus or Poseidon are just the beginning of the creative ideas worth considering.

….and far-off worlds

Don’t have a frame of reference for your sand construction project? Not a problem! Construct your own ideal getaway in the form of sand—built a fantasy-style tower, sprawling mansion, or even a globe-shaped escape that will require careful balance and density to get just right.

Which of these sandy masterpieces have you tried in the past? We’d love to hear about it (and see all the pictures you’re sure to have taken!).