Building a sandcastle together is a good way to bond with friends or family. It is important to mix plenty of water with the sand so that it will hold its shape. Use buckets to get the water and also to act as molds. Form the base with wet sand and then make large "patties" of very wet sand. Add these carefully on the base and even them out with a stick or plastic knife. Create walls by scooping up wet sand and forming them between your hands. You should have a wide base and a narrow top. You can create arches by carefully scooping out openings in the wall. Use plastic knives and spoons or sticks as shaping tools. Once you have a solid base, you can add towers by using plastic cups or small buckets as molds.
To build a sand dinosaur, first use wet sand on a flat area. Make sure it is far enough away from the waves so it will not get washed away. Pile up a mound of damp sand. Pat it down so it will stay together. Form the basic body shape and smooth it out. For the neck, stack wet sand on the front of the body. Be careful not to go too high or it will collapse. Mold some wet sand into an oval or other desired shape for a head and place it on the neck. Smooth out the seam where the head attaches with your fingers. Add damp sand to the other end for the tail. Carve out the legs from the side of the body or add extra sand and sculpt them. To add spines, form small balls of wet sand and place them along the middle of the head, down the neck, body and tail. Use a straw or stick to create the eyes.
Instead of using snow, you can sculpt a "sandman." Mold three balls of very wet sand in three sizes -- small, medium and large. Carefully position the medium-sized ball of sand onto the large one and the smallest ball on top of the medium one. You can decorate the snowman with shells or small rocks. Use twigs or driftwood for the arms, and give the sandman a straw hat to wear.
By piling up wet sand, you can create a head of a sandman or lady. Use wet sand balls to make the cheeks, nose and ears. Use seaweed for the hair. Insert the rim of a plastic bucket into the face for the mouth. Rocks or shells can be used for the eyes.