Tuesday, June 28, 2011

Waste or Want #14: Backyard Sandbox

Description:

A contained sandbox (size varies) for personal use in your own yard.

Average Cost: $40-$200, depending on size (can be much cheaper if bought used)

On the one hand . . .

A sandbox can be a great way to encourage creativity and imagination. Outdoor, active play!

On the other hand . . .

There are several concerns that I've thought of when considering getting a sandbox. I worry about the mess that my kids could make tracking sand into the house. I wonder about neighborhood cats using it as a litter box. And I've heard some rumors of different kinds of sand not being safe because of some chemical compounds it may contain.

I think sandboxes are great fun, and I fondly remember playing in the sandbox many, many times at my grandparents' house. But, as a mom, I'm worried about some of the safety issues. What are your thoughts??

and now cast your vote!


Backyard Sandbox: Waste or Want?

and don't forget to tell us why!

5 comments:

Megan said...

To me its a waste. We have a lot of cats that wander around and I'm sure they would end up using it as a litter box. Plus I'm not a big fan of sand being tracked into my house. I don't mind Lucas playing in the sandbox at the park every once in awhile, but I don't want to own one.

The Maynards said...

We have one the little turtle sandboxes. We bought it 3 years ago for about $20. We have gotten our money's worth- both of my girls, 4 and 1, love it and have spent a lot of time in there.

If you have cats in your neighborhood like we do, I recommended getting one with a lid. As long as you get in the habit of putting it on every time, the cats can't get it. We haven't had a cat in ours yet. As an added precaution against animals and bugs, I replace the sand every year. A bag of sand only cost $3.

Also as long as you dust your kids off before they head in the house, you rarely get sand in the house and it vacuums up really easily.

Erin said...

WANT! We just bought a used one from KSL for $20. It's the same little turtle one with the lid that's in the picture. I don't know what we'd do without it! They really don't track sand in like I thought they would, so it's not much of a mess. They spend hours out there playing and digging. We really would love a swingset or something, but this is much more affordable and I don't have to worry about them getting hurt.

Lisa said...

I want one. My son loves to dig in the dirt. (He even has his own little heavy duty shovel.) Right now we have enough yard projects going on that there is plenty of spare dirt around. I have caught him trying to dig out my flowers, though. I think a sandbox with a lid would be a great place to dig as an alternative to my flower beds.

My Urban Child said...

it has A big advantage for your kid using a Backyard Sandbox On my opinion just used Sandbox covers also protect sand from blowing away in heavy winds, and they keep insects from burrowing and nesting in the sand. Most importantly, sandbox covers prevent play sand from being polluted by animals who use the sandbox as their toilet.
The key to using sandbox covers successfully, of course, is to use them regularly when children are not playing in the box. Use sandbox covers that are made to fit your sandbox.