Favorite sandbox????

[ellairiesmom]

nak

At a friend's house last summer, DD1 LOVED playing in their sandbox...was sooooo into it. I'd like to get a sandbox this year, but am struggling with what to go with. (they had a plastic one but i don't know which one it was)

We are also looking into a cheaper wood playset from a Costco type place & some have sandboxes underneath. Anyone love/hate that option?

Or-is this a case where doing a craigslist step 2/little tikes plastic type one will do? Are those big enough for a couple toddler/younger ones?

$ is a factor since we want to do a few backyard play things for her this spring...(playset, sandbox & kids picnic table) & $ is tight to begin with.

Also-we have no shade in our yard-do i go with one that has an umbrella or cover built in or should I invest in a good umbrella/base that we can use for other stuff? Any thoughts on super sunny yards?

Tell me about your sandboxes, pros, cons, etc.

TIA

[mommariffic]

We got one from Target last year for around $70? I can't find it on the website anymore, but it was your typical wooden sandbox, with a blue/white flag on top.


It was worth it - DD loved playing with it, and my only complaint was that it was a tad bit small [she fit in it, no one else really could..] and a little cheap. I sat on it once [before I was pregnant, so I wasn't heavy] and the wood cracked a tiny bit.

For what we paid she got protection from the sun, and played every single day though and it was aesthetically pleasing. Those plastic turtle ones are cute and they have a cover, but you can find them used or even on Freecycle because they've been around a long time.

Also, make your own sand box! We moved to an urban area and so we gave our sandbox to friends, but when we move back to where we have space I plan on building a huge sand pit for the kiddos

[LaughingHyena]

We have a little tykes turtle one. It's not my favourite to look at but it keeps the kids happy. Mine were 2 & 4 last summer and seemed to have enough space to play together.

When looking we found one of the bigest issues was the lid. We have lots of local cats so a lid is essential. However a lot of the sandpits we looked at had a tarp cover which was held on by elastic. It would be OK for cats but they do collect water and I didn't want to have to remember to check it every time I let the kids out. I also didn't like the mesh covers as the sand takes ages to dry out.

It's definatly worth having a look for a used plastic one IMO, they seem to last pretty well and I see a lot of cheep, even free ones around.

If you want something smaller then an under bed storage box is good and they usually have lids too. We use one for water play.

[MeAndVee]

I know you were asking about the box itself. But have you considered the sand itself? Sand contains silica and asbestos. And the sand that doesn't is HUGELY expensive. Hate to be a kill joy. I like the sand box on Magic Cabin. Not cheap though but attractive. And I would personally go with the playset/sand pit combo to save a few bucks.