Sand castle

A sand castle is one of many possible constructions made of sand, either for the entertainment value to the maker or for its hacking value. Sand castles and other such constructs are usually made at the beach where the two basic building ingredients, sand and water, are available in abundance.

Sand castles are often made by children simply for the fun of making them. Other sand constructions that children sometimes like to make at the beach include sand boats and water works, often in an attempt to either stop the oncoming sea or channel water leaving the beach.

A variant on the sand castle is the drip castle, made by mixing extra water in with the sand, and dripping this 'cement' from a fist held high. When the sand/water slurry lands on existing sand structures, the water is rapidly wicked away leaving the blob of sand in place. The effect is Gaudi-esque.

Adults sometimes engage in contests making sand sculptures, a genuine art, and also a craft, in which the goal is to create structures that are hard to believe can be made just out of sand and water. Other vulnerable media are ice and snow, leading to ice sculptures[?] and snow sculptures[?]. An example of extremely sophisticated sand art is the Buddhist mandala.

Other sand constructs at the beach are often made by adults too, but for more pragmatic reasons: little hills or holes that are meant to keep the wind out and perhaps create a sense of territory on the public beach.

External links

• http://www.sandcastlecentral.com
• http://www.teamsandtastic.com