Fun in the Sand
Activities Grab Bag
The town of Cabarete hosts two annual sand castle competitions in March: one for kids, another for adults. Create a sand sculpture that represents something you love about the Dominican Republic and enter it into the contest. Missed the event? Don't worry: a day of playing in the sand and sun is still lots of fun for everyone.
Instructions:
1) Head to the beach and stake out a good section of sand. Make sure it's near enough to the water that you can dig a few feet and hit the water table but not so close that your masterpiece gets taken out by a wave at high tide.2) Next, think about things that you've loved about your trip to the Dominican Republic--the sky (or rather, the beach) is the limit. One suggestion is to learn about Christopher Columbus' voyages to the island. Create his portrait, one of the galleons that he sailed on, or even a map of the Americas.
Another suggestion is music: think about how to represent the tunes you've heard while you've been here. What do you like about merengue or bachata? Create a dancing couple, a music note, a set of drums. You could also learn about the Tainos, the indigenous people who used to live on the island. Create a face, a family, or one of their villages. Or what about the the Caribbean: let's face it, the main reason people come here are the white sand beaches and the gorgeous blue waters. Create a palm tree, your favorite underwater creature, or a beach chair.
3) Start sculpting! Start with the rough design by packing wet sand into a dense shape. The more tightly packed, the better your sculpture will turn out.
4) Once you've got the basic shape, grab those tools and start carving out the details! Use plastic forks, knives, cups, plastic sheets, anything you can get your hands on to create your sand art. Decorate it with items you find on the beach--shells, coconuts, seaweed, palm leafs, or anything else you like.
Conclusion:
Once you're done, enter your creation into the Cabarete Sand Castle Competition or instead, simply enjoy admiring your Dominican-inspired art. And don't forget to take pictures!Supplies & Materials
If you remember, bring a few tools from home, such as an old pastry knife, paint brushes, plastic forks and knives, strangely shaped items--wide, thin, oval--you never know what will come in handy.And no worries if you don't want to carry supplies: it's your vacation after all! Ask at your hotel's kitchen for plastic cups and utensils or head to the local market for goods like a bucket or a plastic shovel. Being so near the beach, markets and corner stores will have plenty of items to choose from.
User Reviews
Tell everyone what you think!Be the FIRST to write a review for this activity.
My Trip
est. visit time: 0.0 hrs
Best Audience
Age: Infants/Toddlers (0-3yrs), Children (4-8yrs), Pre-teen (9-12yrs)Duration: Multi-day
Cognitive Level: 2-5 Years Old, 1-3 Grade, 4-6 Grade, 7-8 Grade
Activity Level: Med
Attention Span: Med
When to do it: During Your Trip, On Location