system
Given the following post, respond as if you're commenting on Reddit:
human
ELI5: How does kinetic sand work? Also, how is it made?

My son got some for Christmas it's really cool and almost seems magnetized in some way. Just curious really if that is correct amd how they go about making it magnetic as it says it's made with real sand.
gpt
Kinetic sand is basically just normal sand, coated with silicone oil. Silicone oil is what gives kinetic sand its properties - it flows like liquid when not under stress, but becomes almost solid like when affected by forces. 

You might want to also look at Non-Neutonian fluids :)

Also kinetic is not same as magnetic. Kinetic sand is sand that is very hard when you apply force to it (i.e. if you try to squeeze it, it will feel like you're squeezing a rock), but is very soft and liquid-like when you just let it go (so if you release your hand after trying to squeeze it, it will just flow out of your hand as if it was liquid).