How to Build a Mayan Temple Out of Sand

The Top Down method

1. 
   Pile up as much sand you can muster with a shovel into a large hill. If you have a friend helping you, have one person shovel while the other splashes water on the freshly dug sand. Moisture is important.
2. 
   Find a long straight piece of material that will help you make square sides like stairs. This straight-edged tool can be the back of a sand chair, a 2x4 piece of lumber or even the pole of a sand umbrella.
3. 
   Square off and flatten the top of the sand pile. Make sure it's a cube or a rectangular prism.
4. 
   Hold the straight edge tool horizontally and cut downward on one side of the mound to start the first stair riser. This will push the sand down the hill a little so do not worry what it looks like from the bottom. Focus on the top.
5. 
   Pull the straight edge out towards you a few inches to make the first level stair after you have cut down a few inches into the sand.
6. 
   Make the second stair exactly how you did the first cut by starting a few inches away form the first stair. Be very careful at this step for if you have very dry sand you can have a collapse.
7. 
   Continue the 'cut down, pull out' method multiple times all the way down the side of the mound. Try to keep the stairs as level as possible.
8. 
   Go to the next side of the mound (right or left, it does not mater) and continue the method the same. Try to match the stair levels on the corners as best you can but remember you do not have to be perfect.
9. 
   Finish off all four sides. Mayan pyramids and Egyptian pyramids typically have only 4 sides.
10. 
    Finished.