5 Tips for Making Your Child's Sandbox Fun and Safe

A sand box offers your child a great place to spend hours having fun, but when setting up the sandbox, there are a few things you should keep in mind. Consider these tips.

1. Look for Sand Without Microcrystalline Silica

A lot of sand contains microcrystalline silica, and when inhaled, this can be dangerous. To protect your child, look for sand that does not have that, or even consider something like pea gravel that is not as fine as sand. You can get pea gravel from the same suppliers who sell sand and soil products, such as Freds Lagoon Hardware.

Alternatively, keep the sand moist. That helps to keep dust to a minimum. It can also make the sand more amusing for your children.

2. Add Toys

To heighten the fun offered by the sand, fill the area with toys. Some kids may like lots of toy dump trucks or similar toys that turn the sand into a simulated work site. Others may prefer a "mud kitchen".

You can make that easily. Just paint an old cabinet so that it looks like a kitchen stove and oven. Then, add in a few baking tins, pots and pans. Typically, it's cheaper to buy old real stuff from a charity shop that invest in new kids toys. Your kids can use their imaginations to make all kinds of "delicious" sandy treats.

3. Don't Forget the Shade

If you make the space engaging, your kid is going to want to spend a lot of time there. Make it safer by adding shade. An awning or even a beach umbrella can work perfectly. That keeps the sun off your kids, but it also stops the sand from heating up and burning feet.

4. Stir in Some Cinnamon

All kinds of insects may decide to burrow into your sandbox, lay eggs, pop up and bite your kids. Luckily, there's an easy way to address that issue. Just stir in some cinnamon.

Cinnamon is known to work as a bug repellent. You can add a few drops of essential oil, or you can just dump in a whole large container of powdered cinnamon. However, it may make the sand smell tasty to your kids. If they're quite young, you may need to remind them that they shouldn't eat it.

5. Create a Cover

Finally, stray cats like to use sand boxes as litter boxes, and you don't want your child to be forced to play in poo. To prevent that, design a cover to put over your sand box. Even an old tarp can work.

To get more ideas, contact a sand supplier. They can help you choose the right colour, feel and size of sand.