How do you deal with the sand box?

I have read tons of posts about everyone loving their sand box. I got one last fall and used it a few times and didn't love it. I put sunscreen on my girls regularly and the sand stuck to them. It also got in their diapers and the sand ended up in the house. They would eat the sand and throw it, but I chalk that up to them being 16 - 18 months old at the time.

Do I just accept that they'll bring sand in the house and have it in every crease on their bodies and need a second bath after playing (I do morning baths)?

I was at my friend's house yesterday and she has a garden with pea-gravel in the walkways. The girls LOVED playing in the gravel and played with it like sand. The wonderful part was that it didn't stick to them or get in their clothes. I'm thinking I might get some of that for my sand box...

 

I think pea gravel sounds like a great idea! That's what I'd use.

I think that a sand box just means mess, and needing a bath afterwards. I have a water table (thinking that would be cleaner than a sand box??? it's not!), but the stuff off the ground ends up in the water, and my boys need a complete change of clothes/bath afterwards.

If you are going to stick with sand in it, what about only letting them play in it BEFORE morning bath? Then closing it up for the day/play in other areas?

 

Mine play with the sandbox every day that the sun shines. I also use sunscreen but I put it on about 30 minutes before we go outside so it's dry.
It does get better with the mess and I do make sure that we take off shoes, socks and sometimes pants, and even diapers if it's been a messy sandbox day -- before we come in. I HATE sand in my house and especially in their cribs (that happened to me a couple times before I made sure that it stayed outside) and it just takes a routine. It's not hard now and they love it sooo much that it's worth it. I think the pea size gravel idea is very cool! Not sure if it gets too hot though. GL!

 

we play with a sand \ water table and i use oatmeal in it instead of sand. that way i don't worry about if they eat it... which they usually don't eat much... i like the pea gravel idea but haven't looked in to getting it yet...

 

This is so interesting!! Something I never would have thought of...How does the expense compare to sand? Do you have trouble with birds or ants eating it?

 

My two have always loved their sand/water table and when they older kids were little they had a sandbox that they loved. I always put on sunscreen well in advance so that it's dry. Then, at the end of the day, I will often strip them down & give them a rinse outside (if it's warm enough) before they come inside. If it's too cool for that, we just brush the sand off as much as we can, take off their shoes, and often head for the bath if they are really dirty. But, honestly, getting dirty is just part of being a kid in the summer and I try to just let them enjoy it!

 

My girls didn't have a sandbox until they were 2.5 and we never had an issue with them eating it, maybe it was because of their age. Sure they got it in every crevice possible, and brought it into the house constently, but it never really bothered me. I just tried to catch them before they went in the house and wipe as much off as possible. The bath tub was usually full of muddy sand after every bath and I had to vaccuum practically everyday, but it has been well worth the trouble because there isn't a day that goes by that my girls aren't in there playing. It has been one of the best things we have gotten them, ever. Now that the girls are older, we rarely have trouble with the sand getting tracked into the house. They do a pretty good job of brushing it off of themselves. We, too, put sunscreen on them, but I've never noticed the sand getting on them because of it. As far as throwing, it was an immediate time out for that, and after a few time outs, the throwing sand was stopped. We rarely have sand throwing issues now.

 

I got the sand & water table and just put sand in both sides... seems to be working great since they stand at it and don't sit in it.

that pea gravel sounds like a great alternative! and bathing after playing would help too!

good luck!

 

I read about using oatmeal in a magazine and it has worked great. i haven't had a problem with ant etc, the table has a cover and it hasn't gotten wet since i put the oatmeal in both sides. we haven't used it with water yet. i think sand will be fun and when it is warm enough (which is just about now since we're in TX) hosing them off before we go inside will be the easiest thing to do to keep the sand out of the house...

 

Great ideas! I'm getting my nerve up to try the sand box again, and I'll have a water table with oatmeal in it by the end of the week!