How can I stop people from taking our sand toys?

[kozachka]

Today I had to buy DS a new shovel. No biggie except it's a fourth one in just over a month and we do not live close to Target or TRU. The last shovel that disappeared from the sandbox yesterday had even an address sticker on it. The only thing I could come up with is to take our toys with us every time we leave the sandbox. It really would be a pain since DS moves a lot and other kids play with his toys.

On more than one occasion I had to rescue our toys, particularly shovels, from leaving moms. Most are easy about it but some would argue that it's really their toy so the sticker really helped with it.

[AngelaS]

Where's this sandbox? In your yard? And people are coming in to play in it? I'm confused. :D

But I'd say yes, get a small bin or bucket or something to carry all your sand toys back and forth to the sandbox in.

[toomanystrollers]

Use a black permanent marker on the front of each shovel/toy. Your address stickers are maybe miscontrued as price stickers/toy labels so the moms aren't paying attention to them.

[August Mom]

If this is a public sandbox situation, then I would say to limit the number of toys that you give DS to play with. Ask what he wants to do first and give him the shovel and a dump truck or whatever. When he's done with that, give him a rake or whatever and collect the previous toys. Maybe this seems like too much work, but this is basically the system I use with pool toys, which also will disappear if you aren't careful.

If this is happening in your own sandbox and moms are giving you a hard time about it, I'd say don't invite them over anymore.

And, the black marker with DS's name sound like a good idea for either situation.

[brittone2]

I also thought about some big "Puffy" style paint, kwim? Decorate it cute with his name maybe?

[JBaxter]

I would put his name on it in sharpie and a number. I usually allow DS to take 5 things when we go somewhere. Always 5 ( I just picked a number and stick to it ) Things like sand toys are easy to mark and you can also use the numbering as a teaching tool. Most of our sand thing come from a $1 store but replacing them is a pain.
Jeana

[lukkykatt]

I was at the sandbox last week and there was a mother there who had put the family's last name on all of the toys in black permanent marker. I thought it was such a good idea! When they left, she just collected all of their toys and left - what a genius.

I know that sometimes there are 5 yellow shovels, etc. and you are just not sure what you brought. I think this solves the problem perfectly.

I also have a set of sandtoys that I keep in the trunk of my car. That way if we are ever at the playground unexpectedly, we have the toys with us. I just need to get them back in there now that the weather is nice and get our last name on them!

[lisams]

We wrote DD's name on her sandtoys that go to the park with a black sharpie pen, and I always count how many we took and collect them up when we leave. If it's a sandbox that other children use then I think you'll need to take them home with you if you really don't want to worry about them missing.

Lisa

[papal]

You take sandbox toys to the park?! We just let dd play with the ones that others have left behind.. heehee.

[jamsmu]

I like the permanent marker idea, but to make it really obvious, get some paint pens and make a cool design with your son's name. It'll be bright and colorful and there is no mom who could "accidentally" take someone else's child's beautiful bucket and shovel.

[kozachka]

I am sorry if it was not clear that the sandbox I was talking about is in a busy park. People come and go all the time. DS does not like to play with his own toys so I bring ours so that other kids can play with them while he plays with theirs. I don't care so much for the bucket or other toys, it's the shovels that keep disappearing. And DS only really plays with a shovel and bucket not the other toys. As I said it's not the matter of money, our first two sets were from a 99c store as well, it's the hassle of replacing them all the time. And 99c store no longer has sand toys :(.

We'll try writing our last name and phone number on the front rather than back of the toys in big letters with a permanent marker. Hopefully it'll work because I've got tired of taking our toys (sometimes from a child) every time we leave the sandbox to go to a swing or slide and it's been only three days that I've been doing it. After reading these posts I can now see how an address sticker on the back of the shovel's handle won't be noticable. It did help when I noticed another mom take our shovel and told her about it. She insisted it was theirs but realized her mistake when I pointed out our sticker.

[MelissaTC]

I write our last name with a black sharpie on all his sand/outdoor toys. I do it by habit since I am a scrapbooker and have to label all my tools,etc.. for when I crop with others. When we are at the sandbox, I watch our things like a hawk. DS's sand toys are from the teacher's supply store and I tend to get a lot of compliments on them. I have also had kids try to walk off with them. I politely say something like "Honey, can I have the [insert object name here] back? Thanks so much!". As they walk back to me to return it, I usually ask if they had fun with it, etc.. so they don't think they are in big trouble or anything. I live for sharpie markers! Get yourself one and label everything!