Sandcastle messy play with a homemade cloud dough recipe is perfect for summer days when you can’t get to the real beach – or when you want a relaxing sensory playtime in the shade of your own home.

Here’s the recipe:

Sandcastle messy play :: homemade cloud dough recipe

Cloud dough is one of the recipes in my e-book The Homemade Play Dough Recipe Book.

It’s very easy to make and a totally different sensory experience to traditional play dough.

To make it, you will need:

4 cups of flour

1 cup of oil (we most often use baby oil, to get a lovely fragrance)

glitter is optional, but we like some extra sparkle!

All you need to do is combine the ingredients in a bowl and mix…

until it combines and gives you a texture that looks like you’re about to make pastry.

But… give the cloud dough a squish with your hand and you’ll see how it comes together and holds its shape! So cool!

My girls find it irresistible. It’s such a touchy-feely material to play with.

Be aware that this is messy play (that’s half the fun , isn’t it) – although I find the clean up afterwards is quick and easy.

I wouldn’t try it in a room with a carpet, but it sweeps up fine from my kitchen floor.

The squishing is so much fun and as the dough holds its shape it’s perfect for making sandcastles.

I set out some scoops and bowls in different sizes and we had our own homemade mini beach!

The girls made some flags for their sandcastles {from toothpicks and tissue paper} to go on top. You can add little people and a little square of fabric and set up a picnic day out on the beach.