Have You Used a Toy Sand or Water Table with Beans or Rice? Experiences?

It will attract all sorts of bugs.
Even if you cover it.
Bugs can be very, tiny.

Try Moon Sand.
My kids liked that.
You can mold it etc., it doesn't dry out. And you don't need to use it with water just to mold it etc.
It clumps together. And can also just be loose.
It is easy to clean.
And there is no "powder" dust, that some common sand can have.
Some sands, are powdery. Or just so fine.

Just Google Search "Moon Sand."
Remember, that you don't need TONS of it to fill up the sand table.

As far as cleaning up, just keep and put, directly under the table, a plastic sheet. So it doesn't get on the floor. And all you then do is dust broom it up or just lift up the plastic sheet and funnel it all back into the sand table or container.

Those are great materials to use in a sand table... birdseed is also a good choice, as well as cornstarch mixed with sand. Beware of critters becoming attracted to the free food source though...

Here's a site you might like~
http://www.examiner.com/article/50-fun-things-to-put-sand...

I tried the beans and rice after finding water made a huge mess. The dogs ate so much of the beans and rice they got sick. We went back to water with a mat underneath the table.

We used rice in a pan outside on a wicker table. Some of the rice fell into the table. The squirrels ripped apart the wicker to get to it. Table ruined.

Anything but the sand is a pain to clean up.

Beans were the best - got them cheap at the Hispanic Grocery store ... like 59ents a lb.

My sand and water table was out side under a porch. It was a play school one like a picnic table with two covered areas for sand and water. It would get pretty messy, around it. But not near as bad as sitting in a sand box. Yo We only did play sand and occasionally water. I didn't have too much trouble with them tracking it in.

It was one of the best, most used playthings I ever bought. But you can go the cheaper route and get a big plastic container with a cover and fill it with whatever you want.

Our preschool often uses beans and it's great. The kids really like it and you can still bury stuff in it. I would do beans over rice or sand - just easier to clean up.

I would NEVER want sand in my backyard. There would just be so much sand in the house that way.

hmmm, interesting idea. i can only say beans or rice at least can be vacuumed up easily and wont stick to your child so it definately has to be better than the sand to clean. not sure about bugs though. the problem with the sand is it sticks. i think cleaning the sand up from the floor is not that big of a problem, just sweep or vacuum. its more that the kids get it on themselves and bring it inside, kwim. all that said, my children ages 2,5, and 8 love the sandbox so i just clean it up.

on a side note, if you really are concerned about the sand, just get a water table. yeah, the kids get wet, but the clean up is a lot easier. you dump it out at night, can add a few containers of hot water to warm up the outside hose water. toys can all go in water and wont get ruined. and its just water:)

and if you want to be the best mom ever, having the sand/water combo table is the best ever....but is sooooo messy!!!!!! sandy mud, yuck, but they love it. just takes more maintenance since you want to change the water but not dump out the sand.

and moon sand is soooooooooooooo messy, esp for the younger kids. hey, no matter what you go with, better than cleaning up straightup mud.

As a preschool teacher we had them all the time and OH WHAT a mess! They are great fun and they keep the kids entertained for a long time, just be prepared to clean up when they are done. If you go the water table route, make sure you have a reserve outfit on hand, because a toddler will be soaked when they are finished playing. My neighbor wanted an indoor rice table for her toddler and that did not go over well. The toddler had more fun throwing the rice on the floor than he did actually playing in it. Consider this with your child, perhaps do a smaller version to see what happens before you invest $$. If the table is to be outdoor, consider doing rocks in it. The two year old that I watch loves his "rock table" and he plays in it all the time. Hey rocks can be free you just have to collect them, lol. The child I watch also has a dirt table that he is in love with, he can't go a day without using a digger to cover a car or monster truck. As far as Bulk rice or beans etc. I would check Sams club or Costco, they usually have bulk items for a reasonable price. Even Aldi's might be a good choice, if you have those in your area.
Good Luck