My 4 yr old asked my hubby for a sandbox at dinner the other night and much to my surprise he said yes. The ironic part is I really wanted to get her a sandbox last summer and he said no. And as luck would have it her summer camp had a sand box she loved and played in it all the time, which is where I discovered how much sand she tracked in the house, in the laundry basket and in her shoes every day...uggh. I was so happy I hadn't purchased w/ one and now am envisioning the amt of sand i wil be vacuuming everyday w/ a 2 and 4 yr old. Yes they will love it I have no doubt but just hoping maybe the sand table would provide a "middle ground" for both of us. Any suggestions would be appreciated...thanks!
How about a sand table with rice and beans(uncooked) inside instead of sand. Might be a little easier to clean up. I have a box with rice, beans and macaroni noodles that my daughter loves to play in.
I have a friend that uses those tiny little pebbles instead. I think we might do that this year and just keep in on the porch so it doesn't get in the grass.
Nope! Sand is sand is sand. Even though they stand at a table, instead of sitting in it they still get it on and in their shoes and track it in.
The sand is still very messy, but for my 2 1/2 and 3 1/2 year old with the sand table, it seems to at least stay mostly on their hands and some on the upper body. They don't come in with it in their pants and crevises and all that like when they are sitting in a sand box. Also, i think the sand table is a little more convenient for playing with multiple kids. They aren't sitting in it, so they don't take up so much space and it just seems more ergnomically friendly. More sand does seem to end up on my grass though with the sand table. It sure does keep them busy and happy though and that is worth the mess sometimes!
I think it does simply because they aren't sitting in it. It doesn't eliminate sand in their clothes of course, but I do think it is significantly less.
We put out a "dish bucket" outside with warm water in it, hand soap and a dish towel or beach towel. After the kids were done in the sand and water table I had them "wash up"...including their feet. We also kept a "fresh" set of clothes inside the house. So right before going in they'd wash, strip and change. It really seemed to help them be more comfortable and the house to stay cleaner. We usually wore crocs outside, so they could just hose them off instead of wearing shoes that couldn't be rinsed.
NOTE: once we washed up, they were done with the sand and water table for the day.
Unfortunately, no.
We have both, and we've only used the sand table a few times. It's been difficult to keep dry, keep the lid on during thunderstorms/high winds.
We have the same problem with keeping the lid on the sandbox in strong winds, but it's much better than the sand table.
Unfortunately, kids are messy, and they figure out how to get sand everywhere regardless of how they get into it.
Good luck and have fun!
We have a sand/water table and they love it! No sand in the house but that is probably because the eat it all. lol
nope, somehow sand gets it's way into EVERYTHING. no matter how little sand you have, or what it's contained in , it always finds its way EVERYWHERE.
LOL...sorry to laugh, but the answer is no! Sand is sand is sand and I swear no matter where you get it from, it still gets all over.
A table holds less sand, and they won't be sitting in it, but you will still have sand everywhere.
I make my daughter take off her clothes and shoes outside before coming it after playing sand. It helps a little.
It might help a little but not much. We have a sand area at our neighborhood park. I shake them off and take their shoes off before they come in the house so I don't have to vacuum/sweep every time.
Rice and beans are food... NOT TOYS!!!. We spend a lot of time teaching our kids not to play with their dinners so why let them play with rice and beans?? Convinience?? Little sand in the house comes with the territory. Just make your kids take off their shoes after playing in the sand and brush them off good before entering the house. This cuts down on the mess.
no, it will not be any less messy.
The only thing is a sand table is way way way more expensive than a sand box. Just make sure it has a cover to keep the cats out of it! (Seriously). This summer, keep a wading pool near your door, and after sandbox time they can wash their hands and feet in the pool. Of course we are talking two and four, so expect them to get wet but they can be taught to wash off feet and leave the shoes outside the door until they can be emptied. You will have to supervise but maybe do less vacuuming that way.
Ah, last night I went to bed and somehow there was sand all over the sheets - a clear sign that a childhood summer is about to start!
You child is going to track in dirt no matter if you have a sandbox or not... unless of course she's not allowed to play outside.
As for the box, we have a big one in the backyard (my husband built it...), though in retrospect I wish I'd just gotten one of those large rubbermaid containers (I think the under the bed ones would work great...).
At 4 your might solicit some opinion from your daughter... I think they are great fun and well worth the dirt... just remember to remove shoes, socks and pants before coming inside.
