When I was a kid, we had a sandbox in our backyard. It was made of logs and had a little triangular seat in each corner. It was the site of many hours of imagination play as I ran my cars and shovels and buckets through the sand. It was the site of a mudslide with the garden hose that resulted in a TON of muddy, gloopy fun. And, unfortunately, it was the neighborhood ash tray for some of the local kids, and communal cat litter box! There was many a surprise found in there some days!
Now that I'm a mom, it was really important to me that Jellybean got a sandbox. Fortunately for her, her wonderful Uncle Travis (aka Uncle T-Bone- don't ask!) bought her the perfect sandbox last summer. It is shaped like a pirate's treasure chest and had a little spot for her to sit and a lid on it. It is by far her most played with toy in the backyard!
Placement is everything when it comes to your sandbox. We have ours set up on the corner of our patio next to our deck stairs. This fulfills a lot of needs for us. First of all, by being on the patio, we don't have to worry about a huge, rectangular dead patch of grass if we ever move the sandbox. Secondly, we have it set up in a spot that has maximum shade which not only allows maximum play time, it also makes sure that the sand doesn't get too hot to play in. And, by having it by the deck stairs, it's a great seat for mom and dad so they are within reaching distance of all of the fun!
Stocking your sandbox is also very important. We are HUGE Dollar Store fans, and bought most of Jellybean's sandbox toys from there. There are a few pieces that we got from Michaels and IKEA, but for the most part, everything cost us a dollar! If you're on a tight budget, plastic cups and forks also make great tools! And, honestly, your little one really won't care what type of toys she has to play with, especially if mom and dad are out there having fun, too!!
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