Plaster of Paris Hand Casts

• The sand will be held together better for this exercise after it has been raining a little, or you can wet it yourself. Alternatively, if you are on the beach, choose a spot close enough to the sea that the sand is damp, but not so near that the tide will ruin your handiwork. Get your child to press their hands deep into the sand; the imprints should be between 1/2 inch and 2 inches deep. Mix some plaster of Paris and pour it into the imprints. Be careful not to pour the mixture over the top of the imprints. Leave the plaster of Paris to dry for half an hour and then carefully remove it from the sand. Wash excess sand off of the casts with fresh water.
  
  

Hanging Handprints as Gifts for Relatives

• At Christmas, Thanksgiving or other family occasions, pre-make handprint casts as small gifts for relatives. Again, use the child's sandpit or fill shoe boxes with damp sand to help with your mass manufacturing process. Cut enough 4-inch pieces of string for the casts you intend to make and tie knots 1/2 inch in from one end. Get your child to press his hands into the dampened sand and fill them with plaster of Paris. Keep an eye on the casts as they are drying. When they have started to dry but are not completely hard, push the knot at the end of the pieces of string into the top back of the cast. Recipients can tie a loop in the other end of the string to hang the cast from.
  
  

Using Sand Dough

• Fill a tray or dish with plaster of Paris. Before it hardens completely but is not too runny, get your child to make a deep hand imprint in it. For the sand dough, mix 4 cups of sand and 2 cups of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon of cream of tartar. Add 3 cups of hot water and, in a saucepan, stir continually over medium heat. When the mixture has absorbed all of the water, it will be too stiff to stir. Remove from the heat and let the sand dough cool. Grease the mold with some petroleum jelly and fill it with sand dough, pushing it in so that all parts of the mold are filled. Flatten the top and scrape off any excess. Leave to dry for a week and remove from the mold.
  
  

As a Fundraising Activity

• For local fairs or school fund-raising days, take along a large bag of sand, disposable aluminum foil trays and a large supply of plaster of Paris. You can charge a fee for creating handprint models. Take customers' imprints and make the casts, telling them to come back in half an hour for the finished product.