Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

AD/Gifted. We were sent the So Sand Satisfying Sand Case for review purposes. All images and opinions are our own.

It’s been a long old year, what with lockdown and home schooling. The last few weeks I’ve felt like I’m all out of ideas. My boy is about as against doing anything educational as it’s possible to be right now, so all our activities have to be overtly fun and any learning or educational benefit has to be hidden. Thankfully the So Sand Satisfying Sand Case comfortably ticks all of those boxes; being FUN as well as bringing some creativity and sensory play to the table.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

The So Sand Satisfying Sand Case is a handy carry case with a selection of cutting tools, bags of sand and decorations. The instructions are easy to follow, you make up your own brightly coloured kinetic sand.

If the kinetic sand craze has passed you by, Kinetic Sand is made from 98% sand and 2% silica oil. It behaves a bit like playdough but without the sticky horror if it gets walked into your carpet. You can clump the sand up together like a ball, then watch as it melts through your hands almost like a liquid. It’s strange, but in a good way and making your own is super fun.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

There are three colours to make up; yellow, pink and blue, and there are a selection of glitter packets which you can add to your kinetic sand creations. My son, with his love of being extra extra, added glitter to all of the sand. He quickly shot down my suggestion if having half plain, half glittery sand.

If you making the sand isn’t enough for you, the So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case contains a selection of tools for you to roll, shape and cut your sand into all different shapes. The instruction leaflet has a number of kinetic sand serving suggestions, but why follow convention? My son started to follow a couple of the suggestions, then the urge to freestyle took over and he made all kids of fun shapes.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

The storage case makes great storage for the tools and the sand too. It even includes a play tray to keep everything tidy. Playing with kinetic sand and this So Sand DIY Case is really relaxing and a great sensory activity. It’s suitable for ages 6+ and costs around £20.

My son really enjoyed playing with this sand kit; and after months of stressful home schooling, he relished the chance to play with something pretty darn restful and creative.

Review: So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case

The So Sand DIY Satisfying Sand Case is available from a wide range of retailers, including Amazon.

Toy Review: So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory

AD/Gifted. The school holidays can take some filling. In the last few days of freedom before school started again I was running on empty and fast running out of ideas. With an afternoon free and two boys to entertain, I pulled out this So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory; sold it to them as a science experiment and accidentally turned two boys into bath bomb entrepreneurs.

Toy Review: So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory

The So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory costs £19.99 and contains everything you need to make 6 bath bombs. The set includes a mixing station, 3 storage tubes and a moulding shape, a pipette and measuring spoon, 12 bags of powder, 2 bags of decorations, 4 surprise figurines and an instruction leaflet.

Despite initial protests that the set was for girls, once I’d unpacked everything and set it up, the boys got very into mixing the ingredients together. To make the bath bombs, you mix a packet of coloured baking soda and one of citric acid together, add a little bit of water and any sprinkles or surprise figures, press it together and leave it to dry out for half an hour in the mould. It’s really easy and really fun to do.

Toy Review: So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory

The boys were as interested in the raw ingredients as they were the final product. I let them have a little taste of the citric acid, it’s pretty much what sherbet is made of, just without the sugar. They learned that citric acid is a key ingredient in all kinds of fizzy sweets. Mixed with the coloured baking soda you get a super-fizzy bath bomb. We did proper science and they really did enjoy it.

The instructions were really clear and easy to follow. I think it’s one of the best sets of this kind we’ve tried. The mixing ball was a little bit tricky to open, so it might need a bit of adult supervision. I used a butter knife to ease it open. You also need to make sure the kids aren’t going mad adding water. My son added far too much and it took an age to dry out.

Toy Review: So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory

The resulting bath bombs were brilliant. I don’t think either boy had ever had a bath with a bath bomb before, and both were thrilled with the fizziness of it all. There’s enough in the kit to make 6 scented bath bombs. I suspect you can probably buy the ingredients elsewhere and once you’ve used up all the powder packets included, you can carry on making your own.

The So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory was a brilliant way to spend an afternoon with the boys. They were both interested and enthusiastic about making the bath bombs and I think they learned a few things too. I would absolutely do this with them again.

Toy Review: So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory

The So BOMB DIY Bath Bomb Factory costs £19.99 and is available from a wide range of retailers including Amazon (affiliate link). It’s a great set, everything you need is included and it’s just a brilliant box of bath bomb making fun.

Disclosure: We were set this bath bomb making kit in exchange for this review. All images and opinions are our own.