Castles made of sand

Compaction is the trick to constructing a monumental sand castle that will stand the test of time – or at least until the tide comes in. There are various ways, but the simplest is the ‘volcano’ method. Build up a circular mound of sand. Flatten the centre down, but leave a berm around the top. Next, flood the sand in the centre with water and stamp it down with your feet. As it flattens and firms up, keep adding sand, water and foot stamps until you've got a volcano shape. Now you have a cone of compacted sand, it’s time to channel your inner architect. Use your spade, or a stick, to start carving out your castle. It’s important to start from the top and work down and to carve equal amounts from all sides as you go. If it gets lopsided, it’s likely to crumble.

Once you’ve carved out your castle’s structure, it’s time to decorate. Detail is added in much the same way, by slapping on compacted sand evenly and then carving it off with the edge of your spade or with sticks.

For this detail work, half fi ll your bucket with water and then add sand. Again, push it down. Keep adding sand and water until the bucket is nearly full with compacted sand. You can now use this sand to add the details to your sculpture.

Take your time; don’t rush and keep a steady hand. Eventually your castle will be completed and you’ll be the family with the coolest castle on the beach.