"Sensational Sand" by Mireille Messier

Sandcastles are fun but they can also be serious business. In fact, 4000 years ago the ancient Egyptian architect used sandcastles as models before they built pyramids!

Sandcastling as a sport is a fairly recent, though. It started a little over 100 years ago in New Jersey, USA where a fellow called James Taylor built beautiful sand sculptures and asked the passers-by to give him money. He made up to 50 cents a week - a decent wage in those days! Soon, sand sculptors were cropping up everywhere. Eventually, competitions started, giving way to the art of sandcastling today.

How to get started

Here are a few tips and tricks to help you build your own sandcastle.

What you will need

You don’t need much to build a sandcastle: a shovel, some buckets (old plastic plant containers with holes at the bottom are great), some carving tools and a plan.

Choosing the perfect spot

Where you build your structure is very important. If you are near a lake go close to the waterline so you won’t have to carry your water very far. If you are building your castle near the ocean try to choose a spot just above the high-tide line - the line of seaweed, twigs, etc. furthest from the waves. This way your castle won’t get washed away.

First things first

You have your spot. You have your gear. Now, let’s pack some sand together in your buckets (holes in the bottom will allow the extra water to drain out). Pack it as tightly as possible using both your hands and feet. The tighter you pack the sand the easier it will be to carve. Then, dump it out carefully. For a bigger castle, stack many buckets of sand going from biggest to smallest.

It ‘s carving time

Always carve from the top down so that you don’t scrape sand onto parts that are finished. Start small, take your time and don’t get frazzled if chunks of sand fall out. Just smooth them out and make it look like it was meant to be that way. Remember: if you don’t get dirty, you’re doing it wrong!

Here are some neat ideas of household things you can use as tools:

• Spatula
• Mellon baller
• Ruler
• Straw (for blowing the extra sand away for details)
• Cookie cutters
• Icing knife
• Plastic fork
• Plant mister (to keep the sand wet)

The masters

Some people make a living out of building sand sculptures. Karen Fralich is one of those lucky individuals. She has been carving sand for seven years. Typically, Karen spends about 16 hours to create a masterpiece. Her favorite things to carve are dragons because they’re imaginary creatures and can therefore look different every time.

If you have a good imagination, like to be outside, enjoy artistic activities (like moulding clay) and you like to travel, you too could become a sand sculptor! You can see some of Karen’s work at the World Championship Sand Sculpting Competition in Harrison Hot Springs, BC, in early September 2001.