So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Ball Kit Review (age 6+) Sent for review.

My boys love sensory sand, and they've really enjoyed playing with So Magic indoor sand toys before, so they were keen to take a look at the So Sand DIY Ball Kit we were sent for review. Suitable for age 6+, it offers a nicely portable and self-contained sensory experience - you can play and then put it all away neatly for next time.

The packaging is lots of blown plastic and I'm never keen. Aside from the fact its unnecessary and ecologically unsound, it takes an age to cut open. 

Once you have the ball out, the handle needs to be clipped on. This is a grown up job. If Heracles is visiting, ask him to give you a hand. It's certainly not likely to fall off any time soon, which is a good thing. 

On the top are two shaped domes, one of which has gaps to mark, pattern or cut the sand. The sand is marketed as being ideal as an ASMR tool - it feels very satisfying to cut the sand gently through the guidelines, and makes a gentle sandy noise.

Then you need to investigate and work out how to extract the contents of the ball. This took us far longer than anticipated, and there weren't any clues on the box or in the instructions. Twist the ring with the handle on and it comes off as a lid. 

Inside is quite a lot of treasure really. On top is a shaped 'ASMR tool' for combing, smoothing, cutting and moving etc. the sand. The bags are all small, so you realise pretty quickly that these colours won't stay separate for long... 

There are 3 bags each of plain white 'magic' sand, and 3 different colours and glitters for you to add if you wish. The sand bags are great - resealable and big enough to store your sand between play. 

This non-sticky sand mixture is a brilliant sensory toy, which is a non-Newtonian fluid. It can be hit or shaped like a solid, but slowly it slides and drips until it's a puddle on the table. It feels like sand suspended in something soft, and is very pleasant to touch and press your fingers into. 

Mixing in the colour is harder than you'd think. There's quite a bit of powder and we all spilt it on the table. It does wipe up (use the sand as a 'cloth"), but it's probably wise not to mix yours over a pale carpet (just in case). Obviously you can mix the colours up if you choose... We decided against sparkles because the boys don't like the texture with little lumps in. 

Once mixed in, the colours are really bright, which is as satisfying to me as the way the sand oozes and flows. To really play with all of the different shaped moulds, you need to use all of the sand at once - my boys didn't want to mix them up just yet, so we used other plastic items as moulds and made our own models and shapes. 

Magic sand is a firm favourite if you want to play with something to soothe your mind and calm your day. It is incredibly tactile and beautiful,  with a gentle sound as it falls too - if you can get the room quiet enough to hear it! 

So sand DIY is a stress-free toy, and a stress-relieving tool. The fact you actually have 3 different bowls/trays to play with is brilliant, and you can quickly pack everything away safely between play. My youngest son has always fidgeted and he loves this. He sits on the sofa with the small bowl on his lap and plays while he watches TV, without spilling or wasting his sand, or disturbing anyone else... and he does indeed find it incredibly satisfying... 

So Sand DIY Satisfying Ball Kit is available now priced £12.99 rrp from all good toy shops. Other sets are also available. 

If you like the look of this, you may also like the So Magic DIY Wonder Magic Garden Terrarium review (age 8+) or the So Slime DIY Slimelicious Station Review (age 6+). Beauties And The Bibs have also reviewed a larger Satisfying Sand Studio. 

Handy Amazon affiliate links below: 

Amazon links are affiliate, which earns me a few pence if you buy through my link, as a thank you for taking the time to add it. You never pay a penny more. We were sent our So Sand DIY Satisfying Ball Kit for review.