First we filled our 5-gallon bucket with water. Then we placed our form—the bottomless bucket—in the spot where we wanted to build the castle. Meredith and I worked together, pouring water and shoveling sand into the form. Keep adding both until the form is full of sand. Some of the water will soak in, and the rest will leak out the bottom. This mixture of sand and water is called “hard pack.” Once the form was full, I grabbed under the rim of the bucket, and Meredith tapped the sides to loosen the sand. Then I gently pulled up the form to reveal the solid base of the castle.

Click here to learn more about expert sand sculptors Meredith Corson and Dan Doubleday.