I am having the hardest time thinking of what to get my almost 2 year old for her b-day. We also have a 4 yr old girl, so the 2 yr. old has everything. Any ideas? On that note, some people suggested a sandbox...I've heard good and bad. 1) Do your kids use it as much as you thought? 2) Does it stay pretty bug free (if covered)? 3) Do you recommend a certain one?
We have a homemade sand box. I find it fills with bugs with the cover on, so I usually leave it off now. My sister has a plastic crab one with a cover and it seems to stay dry all the time and pretty bug free. We did find a lot of worms in it one time when I was over.
My kids love their sandbox. Yes there is sand everywhere and yes sometimes they get really sandy. But I expect them to get dirty when outside. So I have no problems with it.
we have the turtle sandbox, actually it was free, kids grow up and they give them away. I used it as a baby pool until I was S. he would not eat the sand. my son still uses it at 6. but all my neighbors have a sand table the kids stand to play and no sand in shoes and clothes.
We have the crab kind, one with a cover. It's been great for us. The kids have been good about remembering to cover it back up before we go inside (covering it is just part of our ritual when we play in it). We haven't had any bug issues and the cover seems to keep cats and other critters out of it. We bought ours for our son when he was 2. Now he is five and a half and he still uses it rather regularly. His two year old sister loves to play in it. We don't have a shady spot in our yard, so most of the summer, we have an umbrella in the ground next to the sand box. It can be a bit messy, especially on days when we add a bit of water, so they can sculpt things. But we have found that if we end sandbox time a bit before we want to go in, they loose most of the sand playing in the yard before they come in. Then we do baths and it's no biggie.
My boys, 4 and 17 m., LOVE theirs! We had the turtle sand box until recently. My husband's uncle built an 8 by 8 box with treated lumber and we filled it with a ton and a half of sand. (We put down landscape fabric first) I know it sounds huge, but they have so much fun. I bought cheap trucks, buckets, and shovels and they play in it everyday! My youngest cries when I take him out! We bought a tarp and bungies and haven't had any problem with bugs or our outdoor cat.
We have a turtle sandbox from Kmart. She uses it quite a lot when we are outside and it stays bug free and cat box free (there are outdoor cats around here) b/c I keep the lid on when she isn't using it.The baby turtle sandbox from Kmart is a nice size. I've heard people talk about step 2 naturally playful sandbox too... wish I had saw that one first because it is pretty (to me).
No, I hate it too but it's not as bad as M.R stated. Although I understand.
Our sandbox is in the shade.
So he either does not wear any shoes/socks in there unless he has to.
Then he practically disrobes outside door to re-enter home. Okay mostly just shoes & socks.
Not much sand in the home.
It's fine and keeps him occupied.
However, I think boys love sandboxes way more than girls.
Not chauvinistic (spelling?) here just going by what I've seen. :)
Stays fairly bug free. I have dug out a couple but not too many.
Yes, hands down!! Great purchase! Just be prepped for sand everywhere and lots of dirty feet!
I have been watching kids for 10 years. Sandbox is always the favorite toy!
I recommend a sand table. Little Tikes and Step 2 both make one. We have a combination sand/water table. Its on legs, so you don't have the bug /animal issues. We keep ours covered and never get anything in there.
Its a pain, because they track sand in... but my 4 yr old and 19mo old LOVE IT. We got it for the oldest 2nd birthday. They entertain themselves for hours.
My mom is coming down in a couple of weeks to build a sandbox for my two sons (I have the same problem as you with #2 already has everything from #1...so what to get...) as an early Christmas present. We are doing it handmade (my mom and grandpa built us several over the years and these work great!)...we dig a deep hole...10 ft x 10 ft x 4 ft deep- which allows the kids to dig deep and not hit soil- then we put a plastic cover to keep weeds/bugs/animals out and then fill with sand. It is a bit of an investment (about $500 for sand, wood to make a low bench to sit on around the sand, backhoe to dig and plastic- but makes a HUGE box-plus I watch kids and have neighborhood kids who will probably use it too), but I can't wait for my sons to have one like I had growing up...all my siblings and I played in it tons! A small turtle sandbox would be fine too depending on the number of kids in it! :-)
As far as covering it, my mom asked someone she knows to sew a cover for it that has a string to cinch it around the box and keep the bugs and animals out...this is the first time we have ever bothered to cover the box in all the years of having a box so we will see how it works (our past pest preventer has been dogs...lol!)!
For tracking sand in, we always used baby powder to get the sand off body parts easily...it just brushed away- so just keep a thing of baby powder by the back door and apply it to hands, legs, arms...even shoes and then brush off the sand easily!
Have fun!
We have a Step 2 sand/water table.
DD LOVES it. Still! Got it when she was 18mths., she is now 5.5.
Yes, it is messy, but it's worth it. Ours has a cover, have never had a big bug issue. I mean sometimes there is a dead one in there, but that's all.
I bet your girls will have a blast! :)
HTH!
Hi--
If you do go for the sand box, make sure you get silica free sand (I'm pretty sure Lowe's carry a kid safe sand). A lot of sand has silica particles in it which can clog a child's lungs. Incidentally, our kids love their sand box. Just make sure the lid goes on right after they are done using it.
J.
We also have the Step 2 Naturally Playful sandbox and picnic table. We got the sandbox when my youngest was 1-year-old! It is a bit messy, but so are kids. However, the lid keeps it clear of debris, bugs, and whatnot. I just dust the boys off and the sand for the most part stays outside. Here's the link to a photo.
http://www.amazon.com/Step-7220KR-Naturally-Playful-Sandb...
I know that the little girls that come to play do like the sandbox, but they also like the water table we have too. And, all the kids love to eat lunch at their own picnic table, which is another great gift idea. Here's the link too :
http://www.amazon.com/Step2-Naturally-Playful-Picnic-Umbr...
Here's out water table. Not much good to say about it, but it was a gift. It still works, but it's a pain to keep in storage, it's on the small side, and many of it's parts fail to work in it's old age. Not a recommended buy!
http://www.amazon.com/Little-Tikes-Island-Adventure-Water...
Our outdoor toys are a bit older and not as colorful as the ones they sell now, but the sandbox and picnic table are two of the best buys we made. Both are very durable, safe, and have brought countless hours of entertainment to our kids who are now 6 and 4. If you can find one used and in good shape, go for it. Otherwise, if you buy new, don't worry about price because it will be money well spent! Good luck!
We have a sand and water table our kids love (it's a Little Tikes). Even my older kids get a kick out of the water part of it. When you're done you lift the water section up and it's the cover for the sand portion. I like that the kids didn't get full of sand.
Another idea, what about a picnic table with umbrella? We have one that seats up to 6 kids that I LOVE. The kids really like eating outside in the summertime now. It's a Step 2. I like that the kids can slide in from the side without having to step over the legs of the table. It's great for using when friends come over. It's much bigger and roomier than the little "toddler ones" so bigger kids can still use it and everyone is comfy.
We have a sandbox that the grandparents got for the kids and I hate it. I have no good, rational reason why I don't like it. Plan on sand getting EVERYWHERE, short of stripping the clothes off your kids before they come in the house. It gets in the shoes, the socks, the diaper/pull-up (and if it is wet? GROSS!), the hair, you name it!
(I know, I know I'm probably the only mom who hates them lol, but I thought I'd at least share that viewpoint.)
Our sandbox is in the shape of a ladybug. It comes with a lid and that keeps it very clean. The 4 year old isn't interested in it anymore and the 18 month old just wants to eat the sand.
