Sandcastle Lessons with Andy Hancock in South Padre Island Our family had an incredible time with Andy Hancock learning the art of sandcastle building on the beautiful beaches of South Padre. From the start, Andy captivated us with insights on why Texas sand is uniquely suited for building compared to other American beaches. His enthusiasm made the lesson both fun and educational for everyone--from the youngest at 11 years old to the grandparents in their mid-50s. The step-by-step guidance was easy to follow, and we were all able to participate in creating our own sandcastle masterpiece. Andy's teaching didn't just stop at the basics; he also showed us how to add intricate details and even taught us how to make sand balls, which was a real highlight! We learned that these sand balls can weigh 8 pounds or more, depending on the sombrero tool used, so tossing them around requires a bit of caution. What really stood out was Andy's generosity in providing all the necessary tools during the lesson, and he even let us continue using his equipment after the session so we could practice on our own. This experience has definitely given us the skills and confidence to be the "sand stars" of any beach we visit in the future. We highly recommend Andy Hancock's sandcastle lessons to any family or individuals looking to learn and have a great time at the beach. It's an experience you won't forget! read more

Sandcastle lessons -- what a GREAT idea! When we arrived on the island and saw the beautiful, giant sandcastles at several businesses, we were awed! But after taking sandcastle lessons, now we can build these amazing creations, too!! We took lessons with Andy in 2009 and then again in 2017, and wow, have the lessons only improved. Our preschool/elementary aged kiddos absolutely loved them, but our teenagers appreciated the lessons even more! We worked as a family to build a giant 6 foot tall castle, and everyone was engaged, focused, laughing and participating for hours! We received some great science lessons, loads of compliments, and we now have the skills to build head-turning castles anywhere we vacation! This is a great way to spend a day as a family!! We highly recommend it. read more

We had a great experience with Andy during a sandcastle lesson this past week. Andy is a good teacher. He's relaxed, knowledgeable, funny, and patient. His style of sandcastle building was fun to watch and enjoyable to try. None of us (four adults) knew much about building sandcastles, but Andy made it straightforward and engaging. He showed us how to shape the sand using just a few simple tools. We built a tower and moat, created realistic rock and tree-like textures with a pencil and straw, constructed bridges, formed little boats, and created smooth spheres out of sand which kept their shape so well you could actually toss them around. It was interesting to see how solid the sand became once it was prepared. I'd recommend a lesson with Andy to anyone visiting South Padre. read more

Oh my gosh! Andy is hilarious!!! Me and four of my kids (10, 9, 9 and 4) booked a two hour lesson with him! I had never heard of this before or didn't know it was even a thing! Our experience far outdid my expectations! He was so informative and knowledgeable! He was constantly making jokes and moving the lesson along with tons of tips and cool ideas! We went above and beyond in every area! All the kids were totally engaged and he made sure they were able to find something to work on that was fun and doable for their age! I highly recommend this for a your next beach vacation! This was definitely the best thing we did at padre! Thanks Andy! Hope to see you again! read more

We did a 1 hour lesson for two kids. 1 just turned 5 and the other is about to turn 7. It kept their attention for the full hour and they really enjoyed it, plus moving around water and sand was a pretty good work out for them. I think that a 4 year old still could've enjoyed the lesson, but I think it would've been even better if they were a year or two older, because they later wanted to make a sandcastle, but didn't quite have the attention span to do it again on our own later the same day. As an adult, I can say that I really enjoyed it, and picked up some skills to share in the future. I highly recommend this activity in South Padre Island. read more

Andy was a great instructor and taught us a lot in a short amount of time. From the basics then to what became more advanced techniques of sculpting sand art. My only regret was not planning the trip around doing more of this. The toolkit we were provided at the end of the lesson was a differentiator and set Andy apart from others we may have taken lessons from. Andy wanted us to continue on and use the tools we used during the lesson vs. leave saying, "Well, that was fun..." We can now build this into our future beach trips and family experiences---going back for more and practicing to build memories and sand castles. read more

Met Andy and his helper for a 2 hour lesson. Wow what a tremendous experience for our family. My two teen boys were not the most enthusiastic about our plans to build a sand castle. Andy was terrific, insightful and made the time a blast. Two hours flew by and we have stuck around perfecting our castle. One of the best days at the beach we have ever had. 6 hours of fun and it even withstood a small rain storm. I cannot recommend enough. At least 100 people have come by and taken pictures of the sand castle. Some even posing with it to claim as their own. read more

after visiting the island on a grey weekend - the sandcastle lesson we took really lifted our spirits. The instructor was funny, attentive and kept my children spellbound for well over an hour - even though he insisted we pay him only for the hour requested. We learned things we never thought of and the wet sand stacking was a revelation... we would recommend this activity to anyone visiting whether you think you are artistic or not - my husband isn't! - and buy a toolkit - it will keep your children engaged for hours great work - keep it up read more

Andy was fantastic! We had a family of 6 and there was plenty of room under his canopy, a good thing as it was hot and very sunny! There are some other folks offering lessons, but Andy has it so well organized and thought out, I would not go anywhere else! A very short walk from parking and to bathrooms and drinks, very convenient. My girls learned how to build a fish, a castle, a beach ball, an observatory, heck Andy went with the flow and taught us all how to build anything we wanted! We will be back! read more

We had the best time learning how to build epic sand creations with Andy! We had 2 kids (ages 7 & 9) and 4 adults and everyone had a blast! He spent tons of time with us and taught us really some cool techniques and then made sure that we knew how to do them. Andy is funny, entertaining, and relates well to all ages of people. We have done a lot of traveling all over with our kids and they said this was the most fun they have ever had! Thanks for teaching us and for such a memorable day, Andy! read more

Today was our 3rd lesson with Andy. We took a 2 hr lesson three years ago and were hooked! Our next two lessons have been all-day lessons. Andy brings all the BIG forms, all the tools and lots of energy! Our kids talk about building sand castles all the time now- they should, they are experts after having these lessons! We made HUGE castles without all day lessons, enough room for 12 of us to work! We will engage Andy every time we come back, it is the HIGHLIGHT of any trip to SPI!!! read more

If you are looking for something to do in South Padre while on the beach, I highly recommend taking a sand castle building lesson with Andy! We had a group of four adults and spent the two hours learning how to use all these cool tools while laughing and having a good time. From now on, we've got the basic knowledge for how to build a sandcastle that will make other people walking on the beach smile, ooh and ahh. Andy is a great and fun instructor - must do, well worth it!! read more

Andy and his assistant Max, did a fantastic job on the beach today showing us and others(especially kids, but meant for all) some tips on how to build castles. Andy and Max were really good with everybody, highly recommend!!! My family and I really enjoy coming to SPI, done it for years. I never knew this was something you can do as a service? If you're looking for some family fun and don't mind playing in the sand, you should make this a memory. Kudos to Andy and Max! read more

The sand castle lesson with Andy was FANTASTIC! He is so much knowledge about how to create these sand masterpieces. He also has a wonderful sense of humor. We had a group of 10. We had small children, teenagers and adults. He was able to make the experience great for all of us. We enjoyed this experience so much and we created great sand creations as well as lasting family memories. I cannot say enough about how great this was. A definite must when you visit South Padre. read more

Had an incredible time learning how to build and design awesome sand castles as a family! Staying at the Sapphire gave us access to FREE sand castle lessons with Andy! He did a great job of explaining and demonstrating how to use each tool and how to create any design or effect you want. Not to mention he made you laugh while doing so. Would highly recommend to anyone on South Padre Island, especially if you're staying at the Sapphire or Pearl (free lessons!). read more

We decided to have my daughters 5th and my mother's birthday in South Padre this year. After a couple hiccups with booking the wrong date and rescheduling we finally made it to the beach as it was a great fun time. Andy was very engaging, hilarious and very informative about the construction of the castle and even some architectural history. I would definitely recommend for anyone wanting to spend a creative bonding experience with the family. read more

Wonderful experience! My teens built a sandcastle with their parents and did not fight! Four opinionated adults and two moody teens ALL loved our lesson along with our Great Dane. I recommend to any family to build a sandcastle with Andy.. Andy kept the whole family interested, while educating us on the foundations and chemistry of sandcastle building. We learned things, we laughed and we have great memories ! Thank you!! read more

Andy did an amazing job of informing us and keeping us entertained. Our 2 young daughters (and us adults!!) and a fabulous time. We learned not only how to build sandcastles, but why it's built the way it is. His skills are top notch and so detailed. My girls went back to our beach and tried to recreate our masterpiece. Now we have to teach everyone this summer how to do this. LOL Thank you Andy for a great family experience. read more

We choose a different beach access for our lesson, and it was amazing. Even though it wasn't explicitly part of our sand castle lesson, Andy made sure to include my handicapped mother. He made it special for all that were involved. Even our disinterested teeenagers had fun, and would it again. If you go to SPI and want to have an amazing experience, call Andy and have fun. Side note, bring beer. :) read more