When summer rolls around, many of us will be hitting the beach for a bit of sunshine, swimming, surfing, or even to build some sandcastles! If the latter is something you're interested in, we’ve put together this handy guide to equip you with the knowledge on how to create a decent sandcastle that's sure to make a splash.
Before you set out, you'll need to bring along a few tools to maximise your chances of building a brilliant sandcastle. These include:
- A shovel or spade for digging.
- A bucket to gather water.
- A castle bucket to mould some creative shapes.
- A plastic knife, rake and spoon for carving detail into your sandcastle.
- A straw to blow away any excess sand.
- As a bonus, you can pack some extra moulds for the best possible result.
Once you have everything, all that’s left is to grab some sunglasses, a hat and an appropriate amount of sun care.
When you've made it to the beach, take a good look around. Your goal is to choose an area that's relatively close to the water (not close enough that you'll be struck by waves) while ensuring you'll be away from as many people as possible. The last thing you want is to watch your hard work get trampled on or hit by any incoming balls! If you're worried that may be unavoidable, putting up some windbreakers can help make people aware of your presence.
As soon as you're confident on your chosen spot, grab a handful of sand. Does it easily run through your fingers? Crumble away? If so, it will struggle to get the job done, so keep up the search until you have some rougher sand that sticks when rolled around in your hand.
Start digging away at the sand to amass a base for your castle to stand on. You'll need to pour water over the base, so use your bucket to collect seawater. As soon as it drains, compact the sand down with your hands to make it sturdy. Try not to worry about using too much water, as it will drain eventually.
Next, dig up more sand to create a mound on top of your base. This should be around the same height as you'd like your castle to be. Don't forget to use water as it gets bigger!
Now that you have your mound of sand, gradually start shaping it into your perfect castle, using your carving tools to carefully sculpt walls, arches, and whatever else your creative mind can come up with. If you want to add some towers for authenticity, simply fill your castle buckets with sand and mix with water. Finish by flipping them over and carefully lifting the buckets to reveal your shapes. Throughout this process, be sure to keep that straw nearby so you can blow away any unnecessary sand.
Building a sandcastle to completion will most definitely take some time. You'll need to use plenty of water as you go while keeping an eye on it so it doesn't collapse. The key here is patience for the best result.
As soon as you're satisfied with how it looks, decorate it with any extra moulds, or perhaps even shells or seaweed that you've found on the beach. At this stage, some like to create a moat around the castle for that really authentic look!
If you're looking for a quicker building method, you can stick to only using castle buckets to create a series of shapes on your base, stacking some on top of each other to form a stunning castle.
We hope this short guide has been helpful, and more importantly, we wish you luck in building some super creative sandcastles this summer! If you could do with a few more accessories, make sure to check out our entire Beach Department.
