Have you ever been to the beach with a baby? It sounds delightful in theory, and it can be adorable in reality. You know what else it can be? A lot of panic for the parents.

First, you have to keep the baby out of the sun. Then, the baby is most likely going to want to play in the sand. That’s why you’re there, right? Here’s the thing. Babies put everything in their mouth, like, everything. The sand toys will obviously end up being chewed on, but that’s not all. Most likely, the sand itself will end up in the baby’s mouth.

Quick story. One time I was at a restaurant where you sit on the beach with your feet in the sand. While we waited for our food, my baby sat in the sand playing with some sand toys. A family at a nearby table commented about how cute my baby was and then proceeded to tell me that my baby was eating sand. Face palm.

Babies and sand can be stressful, but babies love sand.

Especially during the coronavirus pandemic, we don’t want our kids eating sand that could potentially be filled with germs. Also, especially during the pandemic, we might be spending more time at home than at the beach. That doesn’t mean that your kids can’t play in the “sand.”

One mom has discovered a genius way to make sand that is safe for our little ones to play with. The best part is that this sand is completely edible. Why? It’s made from Cheerios.

@elleannachristine shared a video on TikTok showing just how easy it is to turn a box of Cheerios into edible sand. She literally pours the cereal into a blender and waits for it to be broken down into sand-sized crumbs. Watch the video below to see how easy it is make sand out of Cheerios.

@elleannachristine🌞🐠🌴 ##fyp ##sensoryplay ##upcycling♬ Laxed (Siren Beat) – Jawsh 685

Moms everywhere are impressed by this genius idea. One comment reads, “Yess!! So if she accidentally eats the sand it’s ok bc it’s freaking Cheerios 🤯🤯🤯 lol.” Another viewer wrote, “No one said you were allowed to be this smart… 🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼❤️❤️❤️”

Some viewers have pointed out that babies who play with Cheerios as if it’s sand might be even more likely to think it’s okay to eat sand when they go to a real beach. That’s a valid point, but we still think sand Cheerios is a genius idea for anyone who wants a baby-safe at-home sand box.

Are you going to make sand out of Cheerios for your baby? Have your children ever eaten sand at the beach?