Normally, Tayne's gushing commentaries about the many merits of Moon Sand
fall on deaf ears, but today Target slashed the price of Christmas castoffs
(down to 75% off normal prices). - Needless to say, we took the afternoon to test their
claims.
Product purchased : Glitter! Moon Sand
colors in kit :
· glitter green (which is more of a teal)
· sparkling silver (ummm, I really don't know why they would choose to call something ‘silver’ when it’s glaringly obvious that it is not silver -the glitter used in all three colors of Moon Sand included in this set is silver colored - if they’d had thought this through they might have been able to call it pewter, but I’m gonna have to say it’s just gray)
· purple twinkle (no comment on this one - purple twinkle is pretty much on the mark)
What is Moon Sand, is it safe?
From the Company website -"Moon Sand is produced in Sweden out of carefully selected raw materials. Moon Sand is absolutely NON-TOXIC. All of the ingredients are inert and cannot be absorbed by the body. It is Gluten Free and Allergy Free." [The first thing to comment on is how glad I am that this stuff does NOT have a weird smell - it doesn’t smell like tempera paint, or play-do, or weird semi-toxic plastic stuff, it’s just "IKEA fresh"; basically what you’d expect something from Sweden designed for kids to play with to smell like. From a science standpoint, this stuff is pretty interesting - it's a super fine particulate material (made of sand or other sand-like materials) which is coated with a binder of synthetic rubber and a polymer so that it can feel dry but stick together with pressure, if you really are interested in the science here's a link to the description of Moon Sand from the European Patent Database http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2006101440&IA=WO2006101440&DISPLAY=DESC
From the Company website -"Moon Sand is produced in Sweden out of carefully selected raw materials. Moon Sand is absolutely NON-TOXIC. All of the ingredients are inert and cannot be absorbed by the body. It is Gluten Free and Allergy Free." [The first thing to comment on is how glad I am that this stuff does NOT have a weird smell - it doesn’t smell like tempera paint, or play-do, or weird semi-toxic plastic stuff, it’s just "IKEA fresh"; basically what you’d expect something from Sweden designed for kids to play with to smell like. From a science standpoint, this stuff is pretty interesting - it's a super fine particulate material (made of sand or other sand-like materials) which is coated with a binder of synthetic rubber and a polymer so that it can feel dry but stick together with pressure, if you really are interested in the science here's a link to the description of Moon Sand from the European Patent Database http://www.wipo.int/pctdb/en/wo.jsp?wo=2006101440&IA=WO2006101440&DISPLAY=DESC
Where is the best area to play with Moon Sand?
From the Company website -"Playing with Moon Sand on a carpeted area is ideal as it makes for an easier clean up by use of a vacuum as opposed to sweeping. Sand that is on hard wood flooring can make the surface slippery." [Does this not give you a huge clue that if your kids are the slightest bit messy that this should not be an indoor activity? - They actually want you to play with it over carpet so that when sand does drop 1.You won’t realize how much sand is getting away from just brushing off your hands between molding things (yeah, glitter probably wasn’t the best thing to add to your product if you didn’t want that secret out…) and 2. Hopefully you’ve purchased a color of Moon Sand that is complimentary to your carpet, because it’s probably got just as much of a chance of working itself down into the fibers as it has being completely vacuumed up. ]
From the Company website -"Playing with Moon Sand on a carpeted area is ideal as it makes for an easier clean up by use of a vacuum as opposed to sweeping. Sand that is on hard wood flooring can make the surface slippery." [Does this not give you a huge clue that if your kids are the slightest bit messy that this should not be an indoor activity? - They actually want you to play with it over carpet so that when sand does drop 1.You won’t realize how much sand is getting away from just brushing off your hands between molding things (yeah, glitter probably wasn’t the best thing to add to your product if you didn’t want that secret out…) and 2. Hopefully you’ve purchased a color of Moon Sand that is complimentary to your carpet, because it’s probably got just as much of a chance of working itself down into the fibers as it has being completely vacuumed up. ]
Can Moon Sand get wet?
From the Company website -"Moon Sand repels water, and can actually float! This enables the artist to incorporate water into their sculpture without any damage. Use water in any creative way you want like creating a moat around your castle creations." [When we tested our Moon Sand in water - if it was clumped together at all it seemed to favor sinking rather than floating - maybe they mean in salt water? Or perhaps ‘Moon’ water? Either way - sink or float - it did repel water and return to it’s original state when taken out of the water and squished around a bit. -Pretty cool...]
From the Company website -"Moon Sand repels water, and can actually float! This enables the artist to incorporate water into their sculpture without any damage. Use water in any creative way you want like creating a moat around your castle creations." [When we tested our Moon Sand in water - if it was clumped together at all it seemed to favor sinking rather than floating - maybe they mean in salt water? Or perhaps ‘Moon’ water? Either way - sink or float - it did repel water and return to it’s original state when taken out of the water and squished around a bit. -Pretty cool...]
Check out my Moon Sand castle! -You can see the glitter, and how the separate colors are doomed to slowly mix and mingle until they become a single unattractive shade...
Here Tayne is planning his own castle, he’s thinking -"Which should I do- Squish it? Shape it? Mold it? -that’s pretty much all the options from the ad-copy on the box right???"
What is the life span of Moon Sand?
From the Company website -"The life span of Moon Sand is endless under proper care." [What they really mean is individual grains of Moon Sand will be part of your home forever, as for playable quantities of Moon Sand - those will need to be added to on a regular basis because much Moon Sand will escape with each play session]
I know (because Tayne is fond of telling me) their motto is "Moon Sand never dries out!" but I think they should have gone with something more accurate like, "Moon Sand, the fun never goes away!" Alas, Moon Sand is messy, but so is real sand - and actually, with the fine texture Moon Sand, playing with it indoors is a lot less of a mess than Tayne walking though the house after playing in the outside sandbox . Plus, Tayne loves it , and as the castle test shows - a play-do castle just doesn’t cut it when you are missing the beach and want to perfect your mad sand sculpting skills before summer. So I have to give Moon Sand a thumbs up for indoor beach simulation, but next time I think we’ll skip the glitter…
From the Company website -"The life span of Moon Sand is endless under proper care." [What they really mean is individual grains of Moon Sand will be part of your home forever, as for playable quantities of Moon Sand - those will need to be added to on a regular basis because much Moon Sand will escape with each play session]
I know (because Tayne is fond of telling me) their motto is "Moon Sand never dries out!" but I think they should have gone with something more accurate like, "Moon Sand, the fun never goes away!" Alas, Moon Sand is messy, but so is real sand - and actually, with the fine texture Moon Sand, playing with it indoors is a lot less of a mess than Tayne walking though the house after playing in the outside sandbox . Plus, Tayne loves it , and as the castle test shows - a play-do castle just doesn’t cut it when you are missing the beach and want to perfect your mad sand sculpting skills before summer. So I have to give Moon Sand a thumbs up for indoor beach simulation, but next time I think we’ll skip the glitter…
7 comments:
Has anyone in your family had skin problems after playing with moon sand? Your blog came up on a web search. Just to let you know moon sand was made in china but was invented in Sweden. Our box says 'made in china' We spent 5 hours in ER after my son put it on his face, Please email if you have a comment. My son has never had allergies or a rash on his face until now. Now I read something about a dog dying. I am very concerned. Thank you- Christin thomasandchristin@yahoo.com
Christin, you are the only one on the internet posting these things about moonsand? I think your son had a reaction to something else and the moon sand was a complete and total coincidence. How many times did you post this same thing? What did the Dr. Say?
Well, to be more accurate, my instruction booklet says: "sand made in Sweden, assembled in China", so I guess the most important part from toxicological point of view comes, effectively from Sweden.
My 3 year old was at the doctor today after she got destroyed in a rash from moon sand, raw, red skin and welts and yes it was from touching the moon sand.Head to toe covered in a rash. And when I googled allergies and moon sand I was horrified at the amount of children who have had the same reaction to this stuff. If any parents are thinking of buying moon sand for your children, please don't, it will end up with a trip to the doctors or ER if you give it to your children.
I really liked your article.
My 5 yr old daughter got the princess moon sand set for Xmas she played with it every day. Since Xmas day she started coming up in a red rash on her face which spread all over and looked like a scald. We though it must be an allergy to something but nothing had changed diet wise or household except the moon sand. 2 days after removing it from her and she is on the mend. The amount if friends who have told me there children cannot play with it is unreal most having a reaction of some sort and just taking it off the child and binning it not reporting it. We'll my daughters is that bad and I have reported it I think someone needs to re look at this toy or at least state in the box may cause skin irritation
my 3 girls got lots of moon sand this christmas and after a week of playing with it the skin has began to peel off their finger tips. it may not be the moon sand causing this but its coincidence that they have all got this problem, apart from my son who has not touched the stuff. we have all played with this and my husband and i seem fine too but we havent had as much play time with it as my girls,....i wont be buying it again, esp after reading other people have had this problem in the past.
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