2 Kids 1 Sandbox Official Video
Kathryn Garivay
Anyway, yesterday when they cleaned up the yard, they put their extra sand leftover from the bricklaying in ds' sandbox. I didn't realize at the time what they were doing. They put the extra sand there as a kindness to ds, and considered it a great gift for a nice kid. I simply smiled and thanked them when they mentioned it.
I don't know how easy it will be to scoop out, because I have no idea if ds spread it around or played in it yet. (At various points in the last three days when he was tired of working he either climbed our tree or played in the sandbox.)
It sounds like your sandbox is outside. Do you keep it covered at all times your dc aren't playing in it? If not, it will become the neighborhood litter box and the type of sand will become the least of your worries.
They had a large board on which the sand was dumped and would take from that board for whatever they needed. I think the sand was dumped from the board. They might have used the wheelbarrow to get it to the sandbox, but I doubt it because the board was pretty close to the sandbox. All that to say I think there's a reasonable possibility that the sand was not mixed with other things, but I will ask ds.
I am trying to understand the concern about the open sandbox. What's the difference between playing in an open sandbox vs digging in the dirt from the yard?? Ds spends a LOT of time digging--he prefers to play with dirt/mud from the yard, but he uses the sandbox to make elaborate military fortifications for little plastic army men. Is digging in the yard unsafe? Would the sandbox pose a different risk from the yard? What about gardening--ds does a lot of that too, for me and for others.
Yes, cats are drawn to the sandbox as it is just like litter to them. If a sandbox is present cats will use it as their toilet every single time, not the grass. The amount of feces and ammonia stench can get out of control very quickly if there are cats around. Trust me, you don't want your kid out playing in a sandbox/litterbox and coming in with cat feces smeared all over him. It's disgusting. That is not likely to happen just out digging in the yard.
Sandboxes are extra attractive for cats and other animals to use as a litterbox, which means it can be contaminated with hookworm and roundworm eggs. The chances of an animal using a random area of dirt in the yard as a litterbox, versus a nice area of loose, easy to dig sand, are lower, which is why sandboxes are mentioned. However, any area can be contaminated with hookworms and roundworms. It is important your child wash his hands before putting them in his mouth for this reason.
Cats have a preference for something they can kick around easily to bury their waste. You will know if a cat is using your sandbox as a litterbox. It will smell and you'll see it. We put a tarp over our sandbock secured with bricks. Not perfect but better than nothing to keep our cat out.
The sand itself is fine. No worries there. The fact that the sandbox is never covered.....that's the worry. Given the choice between a sandbox and a garden....cats will choose the sandbox to void in every. single. time. It's easier and they prefer sand anyway. That would be my main concern. Worms (and all alley cats have worms because they eat vermin), toxoplasmosis, etc., etc. Even if you scooped out the waste....that stuff stays behind. A simple piece of plywood cut to fit the top should solve that problem.
I made a square sandbox in the backyard last spring. I thought I did it right. I used a weed barrier, pressure-treated 2 x 8s and 1.5 yards of fill-sand from a local landscaping company. Not planning for a cover was a mistake.
There are several issues with covering or leave a sandbox uncovered. Cover it with a tarp or other water/air barriers and you might be creating a Petri dish for bacteria and mold. A tarp will sag making a puddle for mosquitos to lay eggs in. Leave it uncovered and the neighborhood cats will relieve themselves in it. Gross! Store-bought covers often won't fit a homemade box and they're expensive.
The folks at the CDC explain the risk of Toxoplasmosis from cats feces. The symptoms if untreated are pretty severe including but not limited to learning disabilities and blindness. They recommend covering sandboxes and hand washing when in contact with infected soils. Most of their warnings surround gardening and properly cooking meat so I'm thinking infection from a sandbox isn't super common.
* Choose a suitable place in your backyard for a sandbox. We went with a vacant corner of the yard that was flat, near the fence, and out of the way. We also dug out the grass to make sure the ground was very even.
* Decide on the design and dimensions for your box.
* Gather supplies from you local hardware store. We choose long 10 foot pieces of wood (about 1 and 1/2-2 inches thick). The leftover ends from the 10 foot pieces were used for the benches.
We seek to nurture curiosity, growth and play in kids globally through safe, fun digital learning experiences that parents can trust, helping them enhance their kids skills and deepen their awareness of the world.
We have 200+ years of collective experience in digital kids content experiences with extensive expertise in designing, developing, operating and marketing premium, branded content experiences and subscription services.
The spot, which is billed as the largest indoor sandbox in the city, boasts more than 1,000 square feet of sand and more than 200 individual toys, most of which follow a construction theme. You can checkout a video walkthrough of the space here.
We've all seen lots of infants that can barely crawl enjoying a day at the beach and eating sand, and I've personally supervised many toddlers younger then 10 months of age playing in the 4th of July sandbox I set up each year at our local city festival. I can personally attest to the fact that playing in clean sand is without doubt one of the most valuable, if not the most valuable, learning experiences they will have in their formative years!
Now a child's safety is always our top concern so if you think your baby is to young for a sandbox, we recommend trying out a sensory bin first. You can fill this with oatmeal, shredded paper, or clean play sand. These are great sensory materials that help ready children for a sandbox and you can gauge how they do with different textures and tactile experiences. Give them some spoons and other toys and let them bury, dig, and explore.
We have sand play packages and sets that can fit with any area size or any budget. If you have something specific in mind, we can even work with you on a custom order. Our simple ordering process makes purchasing a playground digger or sandbox easy, and we can even send a crew to your site to set up your new playground sandbox for you. Get a free quote or request a catalog today!
This quote appeared in a New York Times profile of social justice activist Michael Skolnik, who aptly used a sandbox metaphor to describe a challenge facing the civil rights movement in the United States (Feuer 2015). The metaphor could also apply to the field of early education, which currently faces a similar challenge. The early childhood education movement has grown steadily over the past two decades, plateaued in recent years, and currently is in dire need of reinforcements.
The next time you observe preschool children playing in a sandbox or at a sand table, pay close attention. Watch the amazing things they do with the sand and their tools. Watch how the dynamic changes when friends come to play. Note the cooperation, imaginative play, and early scientific thinking taking root as children explore cause and effect, size, shapes, and structures. Take in the engagement, the fun, the creativity.
Then think back to the sandbox metaphor and what the early learning sandbox of collaboration and partnerships looks like in your program and community. Start by inviting just one new person to the table. Tell him what you do for a living, and see if he has any ideas for supporting children, families, and early learning. Imagine the possibilities.
I absolutely love functional furniture "with a twist", something that serves more than one purpose. Summer is in full swing here and kids spend a lot of time outside. We've already got a DIY sensory table (that mainly used for water activities), a playground that I built earlier this year, and a balance beam. To keep the summer backyard entertainment going, we needed a sandbox picnic table!
I love the concept of a sandbox hidden on the picnic table! It fits perfectly into my idea of "functional furniture with a twist". When not in play mode, it can be just a picnic table for kids! Brilliant!
A couple of words on wood. I used pressure-treated pine for this project. We are planning to have our picnic sandbox table outside in the not covered area, and it will be exposed to rain all the time. Cedar would be nice, but first, my local home improvement store doesn't carry any, and second, it's quite pricey.
Align the wood on the top, to make sure it fits on this sandbox picnic table perfectly. Then take two 1x4"s and attach it on the sides to the box (I think it will be nice to have arm support for little hands, plus it can add some space to play on!).
582128177f