Sand Candles

Materials

Candle wax or paraffin (clear wax can be colored by adding a crayon to it while it is hot)An old pot or large can

Heat source (campfire, hot plate or stove)String cut into 7" (17.5 cm) lengths

Small sticks, from 4" to 7" (10 cm to 17.5 cm) long, or try dowels or old pencils

Sand, at the beach or in a sandbox or dishpan

Instructions

1. Put candle wax or paraffin in the pot or can and heat until the wax turns to liquid.

2. Tie a string onto the center of each stick, dowel or pencil.

3. Ask each child to dig a small hole in the sand, 3 to 6 inches (7.

5 cm to 15 cm) deep.

4. An adult will pour the hot wax into the sand hole.

5. Help each child take the pencil and string and put the string into the hot wax, holding it on the top with the pencil. Rest the pencil on the opening to support the string until the wax cools. This will be the candlewick.

6. After the wax sets and cools, let each child dig his or her candle out of the sand.

7. Cut the strings to the proper length for a candlewick.

8. After the children take their candles out of the sand, an adult can dip each one once in hot wax (using the wick as a handle). This assures that the sand will not fall off of the candle.More to doArt: Let each child make a wax hand print. Instead of digging a hole, each child can make her hand impression in the sand, fill it with wax and dig it out. You can also make footprints like this. These impressions make great gifts.