Eight years ago my husband made our daughter a sand table. We had been to a children’s museum and she loved playing at their sand table. When we got home I asked my husband if we had any wood that could be used to make her a sand table. Well, he went into his workshop, worked some magic with his tools, and created the table pictured above. I painted it with some leftover paint and we called it done.
The table was made with scrap wood and paint, so it was a very frugal project. We now have 3 more children and they have all loved playing with it. We have had to change the sand a couple of times, but we definitely don’t do that every year. The sand table is housed in the kids’ club house. I didn’t take any exact measurements, but it is short enough that my 1 1/2 year old doesn’t have to stand on his tiptoes to play in it. We also have a cover made of wood to go on top to keep bugs out since the club house isn’t bug proof.
We also made several of our own sand toys. My husband drilled holes in some sour cream and cottage cheese containers and their lids. Slotted spoons and measuring cups also make good sand tools.
Now, if you don’t have access to wood and woodworking tools you can make your own portable sandbox out of a shallow Rubbermaid. The size I am thinking about might be called a sweater box. Whatever it is called it is probably half the height of the bigger boxes. The great thing about that would be that it already comes with a lid, and you could store it anywhere. If you were using one of these boxes you could put rice or corn inside instead of sand for a different tactile experience.
Sand and our sand table have provided my children with hours of imaginative play over the years. It is definitely something that works for us.
Come back tomorrow to read my ideas and recipes for play sand alternatives.
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