Sand is an important part of our environment. It comes in various colors. Whether it is white, black, or brown its natural beauty fills deserts, beaches, fields, and gravel pits. Painters, photographers, and writers have recorded the changing appearances of such areas and their feelings about them.

Sand castles are enjoyed by people "playing" on a shore or in a sand pile. Sandboxes have had an important role in classrooms. Many games have been played on sandy lots.

Sand paintings have been created for their beauty. Some cultures make them for religious reasons. Artists sometimes add sand to paint to make textured pictures. Others create designs and scenes in bottles with colored sand. Sand beautifies floral arrangements, gardens, and terrariums. Candles and plaster objects are sometimes cast in sand. Sand that is rich in iron is attracted to magnets and can be used to create patterns showing lines of force.

Glass is made from sand. Glass used for clear and colored windows, mirrors, eye glasses, containers, figurines, light bulbs and fixtures, and many other objects makes our world sparkle.

Sand is used in construction work as an ingredient in concrete and bricks. Sandpaper and sandstones smooth, sharpen, or polish objects. Sandblasting is used to clean surfaces.

The importance of sand in our lives can be examined in art and social studies classes.