Six Ways To

Construct The Perfect Sandcastle

It’s been said that a man’s home is his castle. Well why not make the beach your castle too? What better way to spend a day at Zuma beach than constructing a sand castle with your family? If you want to take this type of beachfront construction even further – why not build a “sand mansion?” You can help your son or daughter become the envy of every kid on the beach by using some simple sand castle building techniques. Below is a list of six ways to construct your Malibu sand mansion…

1. Dig Deep: Choose a large clear space with plenty of room to create your masterpiece. Stay far enough back from any waves that may be rolling in. Be sure and dig right down to the water table – this is where the best quality building sand is hiding. When making your castle it is best to use very wet sand. It’s a good idea to ditch the plastic toy scoop and bring a good old fashioned garden shovel.

2. Build the Base and Walls: Fill your hands or shovel with very wet sand and make layer after layer without pounding or packing the sand down. This is the biggest mistake that amateur sand castle builders make. Never pat your sand down too hard, as this will only result in the crumbling of your walls as you start to build skyward. The object is to distribute the water evenly over the layers of the base and walls so it settles in and binds together.

3. Make a Moat: Dig a crater surrounding your sand mansion to give it that added touch. A moat can also help protect your sand castle from a barrage of high tide waves. To make your moat, shovel right down to the water table and let the water fill the moat all around your castle. Digging down around your castle will give the illusion that your castle walls are larger then life. Have your kids put a few of their toy boats into the moat and you’ve got your own Malibu yacht club!

4. Tools of the Trade: Many expert sand castle builders actually bring carving tools to etch designs in to the walls of their creations. All you really need to make such patterns is a butter knife and some home utensils. Bring a spray bottle filled with water and spray the designed area after you’ve carved it. Some pros even put a little bit of lemon juice in their spray bottle to give their carvings some extra hold!

5. Mold the Mansion: You’d be surprised what items can be used to mold the top of your castle. Items from your kitchen such as cups or bowls are a great way to start. You can also cut the top off an aluminum can to create perfect cylinder shaped turrets. The easy way is to hit up the local toy store for plastic sand castle molds – but that would be cheating!

6. Amazing Arches: The most difficult addition you can add to your sand mansion is an arch. Making the wet sand balance between two pillars of sand is a trick that can even challenge the pros. The best way to create your arch is to build two thick towers fairly close together and then pat a large chunk of wet sand between them. Softly pat the connecting sand and keep your hands steady. Once you have the arch in place, you can use a carving utensil to carefully shape your arch. If the arch falls – don’t get discouraged. Keep trying until you’ve achieved your goal!

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