Making sand

Sam asked where sand came from so this afternoon we investigated. We used 4 different types of stone from our garden: flint, slate, granite and brick (I know, strictly speaking a brick is not a stone). Sam experimented with banging and rubbing them together and we simulated the action of the sea by banging the stones together in waves. Sam actually made more sand than I had expected too. We talked about which stones were hard and soft and how they were formed. We examined the pieces that fell off and how the stones broke differently. Sam explained why he thought flint would be better for stone age tools than a softer stone.
All in all it was quite a good learning experience and all from one question. We even watched a YouTube video about the structure of the earth and how tectonic plates move together or apart forming mountains.
I will add some extras later with photos of Sam's sand and him trying to break flint using two other rocks as stone age men may have done.