Select an area in your yard for the sandbox. Place it towards the back of the yard, so much of the sand falls off your child’s shoes (or bare feet) and clothing before he makes it to the door. Place it where you can see it from a window, but not too close to the fence. Find an area that is mostly flat, and gets shade for part of the day, unless you are planning to build an awning over of the box.

Think BIG! Build the biggest box your budget and your yard will allow. Ten-feet square is a nice size for two or three children. Mark out the area, then remove the grass and dig down. Sinking the box down into the ground will help keep the sand in the box and not blowing around in your child’s eyes on a windy day. It also helps prevent grass from growing up through the sand. Once you’ve dug the area out, level it as best you can, then loosely spread landscape fabric and staple it into the ground. This allows water to drain, but blocks weeds from sprouting.

Build the Largest Sandbox Your Budget Will Allow

Finally, fill the box with sand. Many recommend buying play sand in 50 pound bags. It would take a lot of bags to fill a large sandbox! Washed sand is the same thing as play sand, and can be bought in bulk. Washed sand is free from dust and debris, weighs about 2700 pounds per cubic yard, and is tan in color.

Six Methods to Discourage Cats from Using Your Sandbox

Most websites recommend covering the sandbox to prevent cats from dirtying it, but I always felt that covers were unwieldly and limited how much use the sandbox would see. Small children can’t move the cover by themselves. There are a number of cat deterrents that may work just as well.

1) electric fencing. If you have a tall backyard fence, then run a string of electric wire across the top of the fence out of your child’s reach. No cat will cross it.

2) Keep a non-cat friendly dog in the yard. However, although the dog might not mess in the sand, he will still leave calling cards somewhere in your child’s play area.

3) Scarecrow Sprinklers are motion sensitive and hooked up to a garden hose. They will blast unwanted pests with water, but not harm them. (Of course, teach your child to turn it off, or it will blast him, as well!)

4) Motion-activated pet deterrent uses a high-pitched sound and blast of air to send cats on their way, without water. Great for indoors, too.

5 Smells. Some smells are offensive to cats, even when humans can’t smell them at all, such as the wintergreen scent of Keep Away. Other homemade cat deterrent sprays use a variety of herbs and spices like lavendar, cayanne pepper, rosemary, or citronella. These sprays will last up to two weeks, but need to be reapplied regularly.

Spread Pine Cones or Gravel Around the Sandbox to Discourage Cats

If none of these methods work for you, then a web search should reveal more than fifty other options. Something will work. Of course, you could just cover your sandbox. I’d suggest screen instead of tarp for covering the box. You want the rain to wash the sand clean, rather than the damp dark tarp to keep the sand the right temperature and humidity for breeding bacteria.

Finally, you’ll want sandbox toys! Rotating the toys periodically will keep the interest level high. After spending all that time making the sandbox for your child, the best reward would be watching him enjoy it! So, for younger children, keep a supply of plastic measuring cups and spoons, small plastic cars, and play figurines will provide many hours of enjoyable, educational activity. As your child grows, add sand pails and sturdy shovels, then construction trucks like a dump truck and a steam shovel or back hoe. Children can bury things in the sand for scavenger hunts, or sculpt sand into interesting shapes with the addition of a little water. And sand can still be played with in the fall, even though the beaches are closed and it’s too cold to take off a jacket! There is a small window in the northern states when the sand simply freezes – effectively ending the sandy season for a little while.

Don’t forget, children model us. If you want your child to reap all the benefits of sand play, play with him in the sandbox! Once he sees how important you realize sand play is, he will play in the sand more. So what if he gets a little dirty? That before-bedtime bath is a great way to wind down from an exciting, educational day of play.

For further reading:
Sensory Play
Water Play
Working with Wood
Sand Castle

Photo Credits:
Top: amrufm
Middle: tammra
Bottom: bruno brujah

That stuck with me.  My family moved quite a bit, although my dear husband was not in the military.   Many of our homes came with swimming pools in the back yard, and it must have been helpful for usually the children did make friends.  Our last address was sans pool, and sans friends as well.  Guess what’s going back on the priority list for our next home?

Through Water Play, The Child Learns Many Important Concepts

The Importance of Water Play

If you’ve read some of my earlier posts, especially Child’s Play and Sand Play , then you can probably guess what I’m going to say. Water play helps the child develop socially, emotionally, physically and spiritually.

Water Play Helps the Child Develop Socially

Look at kids in a pool.  How many scowls do you see?  Usually, not many.  Total strangers become best buddies rather quickly.  Splashing and dunking can be emotional outlets.  Tossing frisbees and balls to a friend requires cooperation.  A raft is more fun when you can push someone off, and play “king of the hill”.  Falling is more fun in the water, because it doesn’t hurt.  Kicking water is much healthier than kicking the wall.

Water Play Helps the Child Develop Physically

Physically, children develop coordination.  At a water play table they may develop eye-hand coordination as they scoup, measure, pour, mix and stir water.  In a swimming pool they may develop large muscles as they learn to swim, dive, kick, splash and jump off the edge of the pool into a parent’s arms.

Children Learn Math Concepts Through Water Play

Children learn pre-math concepts of size, full, empty, volume, measurement, and weight. They can learn science concepts like condensation, evaporation, gravity, sink-float, reflection, refraction, and magnification.  Don’t things look different under water?  Ever lay on the bottom of the pool and look up?  What about sticking a spoon in a glass of water, and watching how the handle appears to bend at the water line?

Discovering The Properties of Water is Preschool Science

Teach Your Child New Vocabulary as He Plays with Water

Bath time is great for many water play activities, but it is not enough.  Fill a child’s splash pool this summer, and invite another child to come over.  Take your family to a swimming pool often.  Or better yet, to the beach!  Combine water and sand play for a thoroughly enjoyable, educational afternoon!  Just don’t forget basic safety guidelines.  A child can drown in an inch of water.  Don’t take your eyes off your child for an instant.  Bathroom floors become slippery when wet.  Kindly and firmly help your child learn not to splash water on the floor.  Empty the splash pool when not in use.  For more on water safety, check this out.

You Can Begin to Teach Your Child About Your Faith Through Water Play

Spiritual growth is a little fuzzier. Water is the symbol of cleanliness. If your child will witness a baptism soon, you can try to explain that the water of baptism washes the soul clean, just like a bath washes your body. When you go camping, you and your child can observe how a light rain nourishes the earth. While gardening, show how water brings new life to wilting plants. Preschoolers are a little young to understand these concepts, but not to be exposed to them.

Related Reading:
Sand Play
Bath Tub Play
Child’s Play

Photo Credits:
Top: photo by Valentina Powers
Middle: photo by Bev Sykes
Bottom: photo by Tiffany Washko