Do you have a good sand alternative that is safe for eye rubbing, eating, and will not attract pests?
The sand will be used in a sand and water table with lids and kept outdoors.
Thank you
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Rice? That can get messy though and it's not good for birds, but in the winter last year I brought our water table inside and filled it with rice and toys that my LO loved to scoop and pour. I got 3 enormous bags for rice at Aldi for only $6 each and it filled up the whole water table.
Another option is to just keep both sides a water table for the first year till your kiddo is older.
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I have a sand table on the ground under a play structure and have used it since 11 months and it is pretty bug free. Covered when not in use. Sometimes one of the kids (now 18 months) will throw a bit of sand or try a taste but they don't sit there and eat it or anything and I move them somewhere else if they can't stop throwing it. So I'd just get sand if it was me or just use water for a while like suggested above. Then use rice or alternatives inside only because if you do oats or rice it will just attract birds and squirrels and stuff and it doesn't have the same sensory capabilities as sand.
I can count on one hand the number of times it has been an eye/eating issue for the two toddlers who use mine!
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As long as it won't get wet, you have multiple options. We use dry beans. I buy the big bag at Costco and switch out the beans if they start to look a bit dirty.
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Honestly, if you're worried about ingesting, do you really think dried rice is any better than a bit of sand? I suppose you could also use salt or sugar...when damp it has similar properties as sand.
If I were really concerned about my kid eating it, I would just hold off a year on the sand and do water play only.
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I was thinking of just using water for now, but my dad thinks LO can handle sand or something else non-water. He's one y/o and tasted potting soil when we planted flowers.
@Anagram: @Mrs. Goose: Dry beans or rice sound like fun sensory alternatives. Thanks: @Anagram: @Iced Tea:
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: If your table didn't come with a cover, you can look on amazon at the outdoor fire pit covers and buy one that fits--they are kind of like huge waterproof shower caps, so they should keep most animals out.
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@looch: rice is a food product. Wouldn't it break down in his tummy? At school his teacher used grits instead of sand for a demonstration when he was 4 months. I also don't want to attract vermin.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: Just because something is a food product doesn't mean you should eat it raw. And anything that you keep outside is subject to getting organisms in it. You're going to get stuff in it no matter what, if it's oatmeal, grits, rice, etc.
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@looch: ok, good point. Double water table for now.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: He has plenty of years ahead of him for sand. My son's 6 and he and our neighbor friend of the same age still play in the sand box. I can't wait to get rid of it, though, lol.
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I'd just do water for now. I just got my 29 month old a sand table but she absolutely knows she can't eat it, etc. We got sand table with a cover and so far so good!
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Another vote for double water at that age. You can always add sand if he seems ready later this summer.
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We didn't add sand until DS was 20 months old and he didn't really get into playing with it until he was past 2 years old. Now at 2.5, he looooves playing in the sandbox.
My 1 year old is really into the water table, so I think it will be fine with just water, especially if you float fun things in it, like balls or Mega Blocks or those foam bath letters.
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Why not just dirt ?
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: is there bad stduff in potting soil? Like fertilizer or something? He'll probably try the sand to see what it tastes like but that's just what kids do!
That being said, I actually don't really like sand. It has a weird smell sometimes, is messy, and manages to get in all clothing and crevices somehow. I just have it available for them to use if they choose to. They're not hugely into it yet, but do like it. He won't miss it if you don't give it to him yet. Lots of years to play with it and you can go to parks for him. Water is so good for newborn-7 years old basically. Kids usually seem to love water! It's messy without being messy in the same way that dirt and sand are. And you can add dish soap to it for bubbles, colour if you wanted, water beads, and all kinds of animals or toys and different kitchen utensils like stainers, cups, and whisks.
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I might try some homemade cloud dough with vegetable oil instead of baby oil. But if you stick with water, that will still be lots of fun for him. At his age, DS really liked to sit in a shallow baby pool and play with the water table toys.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I would stick with just water. It's so much more fun anyway!
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I also vote for having both sides with water. We always meant to change one side to sand as DD has gotten older, but she really loves the water play so much that we have kept it just as a water table. She'll be 4 in a few months and she still loves it. We have one of those little turtle pools with a cover that we used as a sand box but she never enjoyed it as much.
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@Mrs. Goose: i don't know if there are chemical in potting soil, but it's messy and not something he should eat.
@ShootingStar: actually, I decided to post this after reading about cloud dough. Wet flour has to attract something outside. The bins on the table will have lids. When you have used cloud dough do you clean it up after each use?
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I would do double water - regardless of what goes in each side your LO will mix them and then it will be a mess!
I liked having a separate sand box and a separate water table
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: for sure! It's not something I would want my kid eating.
Cloud dough is supremely messy just fyi. The flour gets all into your clothes and you usually have to change them unless you like that white dusty clothes look because it doesn't just brush off like some other sensory stuff does. And if you got water mixed into the cloud dough It might end up ruining it since the recipe is only some kind of oil (coconut/vegetable/ baby, etc.). I have only ever used the baby oil recipe with kids aged 3.5-5 in a kindergarten class and they liked it, but it was in its own container and did go everywhere.
I took out cookie sheets with flour on them to my backyard for the kids to play with when they were 11 months and then just dumped the leftovers on the ground. If it's not a significant amount or left out all the time it shouldn't attract animals.
I agree with mamaof2 about the combining aspect. I didn't even think of that.
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@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I haven't tried it yet. I was thinking I might do it for DS in it's own rubbermaid type of container. I'll probably just hose it down when he's done, I don't like the thought of pests being attracted to the stuff either. And as for mess, I'd probably just do it on our deck and hose it after, or on the grass.
@Anagram: @Mrs. Goose: Reply
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