Combine oil, food dye and vanilla essence in a small container and mix.
Put flour in a mixing bowl, then add the oil mixture.
Use a spoon or spatula to mix all ingredients together, then use your finger tips to rub the flour and oil together evenly.
You will end up with a soft loose powder which holds its shape when pressed together. If it isn't holding its shape, add a tiny bit more oil and mix through until it reaches the right consistency. If it seems to dough-like, and doesn't resemble a loose sand, add some more flour and mix through.
You can also adjust the amount of vanilla essence, add more if you would like it to smell stronger.
The food dye won't mix through evenly, it will create tiny interesting speckles of colour throughout the dough.
After play, you can store the Speckled Vanilla Sand in an airtight bag or container for future use.