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View Full Version : sand pits - pros and cons



Blackhorse
18-04-2009, 09:14 PM
Hi,

I am trying to make up my mind if I should get a sandpit in the garden or not
It is big enough so space is not an issue, but was wondering if there are any reasons against it that I am not thinking of
All I can remember is that I used to love playing in them when I was little (oh and eat the sand and put the sand into my hair so that I could pick it out of my hair again in the evening- weird isn't it?)

So please let me know your thoughts and experiences with having a sand pit in the garden. - things to look out for (like cats using it as catter litter tray...etc)

Thanks a lot

venus89
18-04-2009, 09:18 PM
I'd say just cats to be honest - we had to throw away our old one as we have cats and my kids - much littler then - were rubbish at putting the lid back on again - so it got a bit mucky..... Now I havea sanpit on legs and chack it every evening. All the kids love it - it's the most popular thing in my garden

Blackhorse
18-04-2009, 09:20 PM
I'd say just cats to be honest - we had to throw away our old one as we have cats and my kids - much littler then - were rubbish at putting the lid back on again - so it got a bit mucky..... Now I havea sanpit on legs and chack it every evening. All the kids love it - it's the most popular thing in my garden

is that one of these sand and water tables?

I had a look at these too, but you can't sit in them, which is what I used to find so good about sand pits when I was little,...:clapping:

Alibali
18-04-2009, 09:23 PM
I personally hate sand:blush: I know the los like it so I take them to places they can play with it, but in my own garden it would get trailed everywhere and you find sand in places it shouldn't be! They throw it at each other and it gets wet and gooey and beasties grow in it and I don 't like the feel of it, I get goosebumps:blush: :blush: Are you guessing I don't like it much:)

Mouse
18-04-2009, 09:28 PM
I had one of those turtle sandpits with a lid. I was always worried about creepy crawlies getting in, so I put a shower curtain in the bottom of it (hanging out over the edge) and then put the sand in. At night I folded the shower curtain over the top & put the lid on. It seemed to work and the sand stayed clean & bug free.

Now I've got a picnic table type sand table. The kids love it and it makes much less mess.

ORKSIE
18-04-2009, 09:39 PM
Kids love sand pits, make sure you get one with a good lid, i have 2 cats, i make sure lid goes on as soon as they stop using it( kids i mean.. not cats:laughing: )
Give kids a brush off with your hand before they come in. Sorted!

Blackhorse
18-04-2009, 09:50 PM
found this and think it is really clever

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WOODEN-SANDPIT-+-FOLDING-LID%2fSEATS.-GARDEN-SAND-PIT_W0QQitemZ120406771297QQcmdZViewItem

it has a folding lid that makes 2 benches when opened....

ORKSIE
18-04-2009, 09:54 PM
LMAO thats wikid. they have one similar at our primary school:)

Demonjill
18-04-2009, 09:55 PM
found this and think it is really clever

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-WOODEN-SANDPIT-+-FOLDING-LID%2fSEATS.-GARDEN-SAND-PIT_W0QQitemZ120406771297QQcmdZViewItem

it has a folding lid that makes 2 benches when opened....

O that looks good fun. you could dangle your feet in perfect if you got the money lol:D

Blackhorse
18-04-2009, 09:56 PM
I have saved it to my favourits...there are a few things there that I will buy the day my registration cert comes through...hihi..shopping-spree:jump for joy:

gegele
18-04-2009, 10:12 PM
ls great but still wont keep the cat away LOL

i have a little apple one for now but i found thevrain to be the worst culprit as lid let some of the water in and there's no drainage!!!


my top tip is keep it far away from your door so the most of the sand will have fallen of their clothes before coming in and in a place that is shaded or that you can shade easily as they stay a long time by the sand pit!


i'm thinkig of having a digging mud pit!!! :D but still don't know what i can and can't do.

Roseolivia
19-04-2009, 07:40 AM
My sandpit is on legs and daughter loves it.

huggableshelly
19-04-2009, 08:00 AM
mine has a lid on but didn't fill it last year ... well I did but not with sand as had a mindee with severe eczema who was not allowed to play in sand so I used it for water, crazy foam and soil instead.

might be able to put sand in it this year pending on mindee, my own children are not bothered about sand anymore.

misst104
19-04-2009, 08:05 AM
We have one of the ones with two sides, one for water and one for sand. Its on legs (from ELC I think). Kids love it and spend ages playing there. I would agree about putting it well away from the door! The lid thing is important too of course but its a matter of remembering to put it back on at the end of the session.

My neighbour has one of the turtle sandpits that sit on the ground and whilst the children love it, it drives her potty with mess (after they have been sitting in it). She's not a CM though and finds most kids mess a little annoying!!!!!

Either way has Pro's and con's I think but would definately get one. The wooden one you are looking at looks fab :thumbsup:

Daftbat
19-04-2009, 08:08 AM
I have a sand/water table but will only be using for water for a while until my garden is harscaped. Last summer the kids basically poured most of the sand in to the lawn - at least i will be able to brush it up from the hardscaping. I also found sand in very unusual places aorund the house because it just gets EVERYWHERE!!!! I had sand on the coffee table, the bathroom floor (upstairs), even in toy boxes.:eek:

Sticking to water play for a while - well at least IF we get warm enough weather.

misst104
19-04-2009, 08:12 AM
I have a sand/water table but will only be using for water for a while until my garden is harscaped. Last summer the kids basically poured most of the sand in to the lawn - at least i will be able to brush it up from the hardscaping. I also found sand in very unusual places aorund the house because it just gets EVERYWHERE!!!! I had sand on the coffee table, the bathroom floor (upstairs), even in toy boxes.:eek:

Sticking to water play for a while - well at least IF we get warm enough weather.


My OH doesn't like it when sand gets on his oh so precious lawn so ours is on the decking area!!!

sweets
19-04-2009, 08:39 AM
The sand does get everywhere im afraid! but the kids love it and its easy to sweep up. I wanted a sand/water table which i think are best but i was given a turtle one for free so couldnt say no, messier though as my little mindee sits in the middle! lol.
I am going to buy some fresh sand today, apparantly they sell it coloured from homebase, Has anyone tried it ? bit worried it will stain my patio if wet!:(

atmkids
19-04-2009, 08:50 AM
I had one of those turtle sandpits with a lid. I was always worried about creepy crawlies getting in, so I put a shower curtain in the bottom of it (hanging out over the edge) and then put the sand in. At night I folded the shower curtain over the top & put the lid on. It seemed to work and the sand stayed clean & bug free.

Now I've got a picnic table type sand table. The kids love it and it makes much less mess.

Is that the one from Argos? I intend buying one of these soon. Would you recommend them and how many bags of sand do they need?

flora
19-04-2009, 09:37 AM
We have an ENORMOUS sand pit, nige dug it out with the jcb. It takes 3 tonnes of sand to top it up.

I don't cover it up and the cats have NEVER messed in it. I do of course check.

All the kids love it and they can all play in at once. Sand does get all over the place, but if this doesn't bother you I say go for it :thumbsup:

The Juggler
19-04-2009, 09:56 AM
I have one on legs and the children are in it all year round. To be honest it's no worse keeping cats out of this than it is out of the flower/soil beds - you just have to keep checking.

Mine had a stretch cover which pooled with rain everytime it rained but now have just a bit of plastic board I put on top every night and put a chair or something on top to stop it blowing away.

It does get everywhere but it hoovers up fine. Think that's why legs might have the advantage on the ones you sit in so at least little bottoms won't make sandy sofas!

Given the hours of fun and learning sand and water provide they are well worth £30 or so and the sand is very cheap from tesco or B&Q.

Nx

mushpea
19-04-2009, 10:27 AM
i have one similar to the one with the link on here except the seat part dosent have the back to it, it takes about 10-15 bags of sand to properly fill it. the kids love it, they sit in it, take their socks of and walk about iin it, never have cats in it but this may be because we have a dog so no cats in the garden anyway, the only problem i have is the dog loves to dig in it and when he gets to it (its in a fenced off area) all you can see is a wagging tail amongst lots of flying sand!!:laughing:

Chatterbox Childcare
19-04-2009, 10:29 AM
I love my sand pit. I brought it from a company called step2step.com. It is a plastic table, children's height, with four legs and a lid which secures with elastic (keeping out the pests and cats). On the top is a track with the kids play their cars on.

I think it was about £30 but worth every penny from the amount of times it is played with.

Bananabrain
19-04-2009, 05:03 PM
I personally will be sticking with lots of water play.

i know I sound a bit negative as obviously the play value is huge but.............

I used to work in a nursery and sand was a constant bugbear,little ones lobbing it at each other,chucking it all over the floor so it had to be replaced every 5 mins, rubbing their eyes with sandy hands,sand getting into nappies and everywhere else! bugs living in it. I could go on and on

This house will be a sand free zone this summer.

However,I don't care how much mess they make with glue,paint, play-dough,water,bubbles,glitter,slime or gloop or anything else.

Sand..................................no way Jose.

venus89
19-04-2009, 05:30 PM
is that one of these sand and water tables?

I had a look at these too, but you can't sit in them, which is what I used to find so good about sand pits when I was little,...:clapping:

I have this one http://www.additionsdirect.co.uk/rf/add/navigation/product.do?D=577462600&SNtk=catalog_no_partial&thisprod=577462600&Ntk=group_search&SNtt=KV404&N=95%20104&Nu=this_product&SN=95%20104&Ntt=577462600&Dx=mode+matchall&Np=1&product=577462600&Nty=1&Ntx=mode%20matchallpartial&SNu=pca_id&cm_mmc=nextag-_-ELECTRICAL%20and%20SEASONAL-_-KV4041C-_-Fun%20Factory%20sand%20and%20water%20table

Our garden is tiny and although I liek the sit in ones I wanted to deter the cats and like this because it's got the parasol and it's got the legs. I generally only have a couple of littlies at a time - or a couple of littlies plus a baby - so this suits there purposes just fine. Also, because it's so small then it's easy to empty out and put other things in - glittery coloured water, rainbow rice... stuff like that. They love the sand but love the variety too :D

westbrom44
19-04-2009, 05:41 PM
Definitely get a sandpit. I am on my 3rd now, in 18 years I might add!
Always put a lid on it after use. I have never had any problems with animals.

All of the children love it, from very young to teenage! My 13 year old daughter was playing alongside a 1 year old the other day.

I dont notice the sand gets everywhere. You just have to watch the children and explain to them what happens if they throw sand. I usually have a dustpan and brush handy which the children enjoy using themselves.

When I empty the sand to clean the sandpit and replace with sand, I put water in it for a few days, which the children enjoy.

I have a sandpit on stilts, but have also had floor pits. I have found both to be good. I find with the lower ones, the children like to sit in it as they play.

venus89
19-04-2009, 05:51 PM
I sometimes fill the tuffspot with sand (or flour for teeny tines) to make a mini temporary sandpit they can sit in.

mayberry
20-04-2009, 04:54 AM
Think of the fun you had when you were little, most of all think of the learning the children will get from having that all that fun
Lots of good advice, there are lots of sandpits with lid just go for it, would not be with out mine:laughing:

Dawn xx

angeldelight
20-04-2009, 06:32 AM
Sand can be a pain but the children do love it

If you have half a dozen kids playing in it together though it can become a nightmare when they start throwing it over each other etc
Best to limit it to 2 or 3 at a time

They are great for learning and we have never had a problem with cats or anything else because I have a cover on it when not in use

Hope if you decided to get one you have lots of fun

Angel xx

haribo
20-04-2009, 12:08 PM
im very lucky we have a park at the bottom of our road and its just been done up ,the council have basically tipped tonnes of sand to make a huge sandpit its like a beach over there we take buckets and spades and its great fun. then brush off before we come home and hopefully leave the sand there lol so in my garden which is tiny we have a big tray we use for water ,gelli baff and the like .

childminder54
12-05-2009, 11:58 AM
I had one of those turtle sandpits with a lid. I was always worried about creepy crawlies getting in, so I put a shower curtain in the bottom of it (hanging out over the edge) and then put the sand in. At night I folded the shower curtain over the top & put the lid on. It seemed to work and the sand stayed clean & bug free.

Now I've got a picnic table type sand table. The kids love it and it makes much less mess.

thats what i want were did you get it from

veronicaxx