Which Sand & Water Table to get?

[lmariana]

I know there are quite a few different brands and models of sand and water tables out there. Any tips on which are the good ones and which are bad? We'll be using this outside in our screened porch.

Thanks!

Mariana
Owner of HappyDayBaby
Mother of Gabriel, 08/2003
www.heinzandmariana.com (personal site)

http://lilypie.com/baby2/030814/1/5/0/-5/.png

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[Twin Mom]

Hey Mariana, Hope you are feeling good and are settled in your new house.

I've seen some old threads saying the Little Tikes S&W table wasn't good and that the Step 2 Naturally Playful Sand & Water Activity Center was a better choice. If you do a search you will find a few threads about it. The funny thing is that I had the LT one but never opened it so I returned it and bought the Step 2 one. When I tried to put it in my trunk I realized that it was too long (DH has the SUV) so I had to return it. Then I was going to buy one with the 20% off coupon at TRU last weekend and now they are sold out all around town so I guess it wasn't meant to be (yet)!

HTH.

[HannaAddict]

Based on the posts on this board, we bought a Step 2 sand and water table. He loves it so far. Haven't even bought sand yet, but since he is a water baby, he went nuts just having it filled with water. I think it will be a big hit this summer. They are on sale for $47.99 at Fred Meyer, if you live in a state with Fred Meyer stores. We bought ours at TRU.

Kimberly

[August Mom]

We have the LT one and I'm not that impressed. It looks like they've redesigned the one for sale now, though, so I can't comment on that.

My mom has a Berchet sand and water table that I love. It is a square divided diagonally into 2 sections, one for water and one for sand or, in the early days we did all water. The only downside to this configuration is that you can't use larger trucks, etc. in the sand. It is covered by a tarp. The quality is excellent. I have really been impressed with the sand toys that come with the table - very sturdy and lots of fun.

[Mama to EllieCat]

We have the one with the castle in it. I think it is by Little Tikes. My mom is a true bargain hunter and got it for a steal and surprised us with it. Thanks mom.

The castle has a moat around it for water and comes with a dragon, princess, knight and boat. There is a small part for sand. I think it is great if your child is into pretend play b/c of the castle feature. My daughter is 21 mos and doesn't really know about princesses and castles yet, so it is wasted on her. We have it all filled with sand haven't even put the castle together. Too cold for water in VT.

Right now, we like it fine, but I can see older kids appreciating a bigger one. She makes all sorts of sand castles with recycled yogurt and applesauce containers and will stand there playing for 45 mins. I love it for that reason. I can sit on the deck next to her, offer up a sand castle here and there and hold a conversation with my mother-in-law. Pure bliss. (I normally spend our time outside running after her. She doesn't stop.)

I can see the advantage of the bigger Step 2 one. It appears to have a deeper and definitely larger sand part to it.

HTH

Kristen

[murpheyblue]

My MIL wanted to get DD a sand and water table so I checked out amazon and the reviews on the LIttle Tikes ones are bad. Based primarily on those reviews, we got the Step 2 one (Naturally Playful or something like that) which had much better reviews.

So far DD has enojoyed it. It's large and seems very sturdy.

[s_gosney]

Can the "road" part come out or is attached? I can see dd appreciating the open water to splash in more than the road. This one has nice big open areas for both sand and water, but I like the color, cover, and umbrella from the Step II one better.
http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000065CRG.01._PE17_SCMZZZZZZZ_.jpg


Or does anyone have this one: http://tinyurl.com/9ukk9

It seems neat, but I'm not sure about the combination. Would you use it inside or outside? The pictures all seem to be inside, but I can't imagine playing with sand and water in the house...at least not with my dd.

Our DCP just got the one with the castle, and while Kylee seems to enjoy it, the whole castle/princess thing is definitely beyond her right now...she just wants to splash!

[dules]

We just got the Naturally Playful Sand & Water Center (with the umbrella) today in hopes of a nice (over 50 degrees!) weekend. Will let you know!

Best,
Mary

P.S. I called ahead to make sure TRU had it, and they put it in my car without the box and it fit great (cargo area of a Forester). I was afraid DD and I were going to have to try to tie it on the roof, lol!

[muskiesusan]

We had this one and it only lasted us one summer when DS1 was about 18 months old. I left it outside, but the tarp used to cover the top did not wear well exposed to the elements and quickly tore up. Water would collect on the top making it heavy, among other issues. Also, while Nick enjoyed it when he was younger, it was not big enough to make sand molds in (we got some sand toys from Target for a reference of the size molds we were using).

Last summer we got the Step 2 Naturally Playful one and we love it. The umbrella did not last long (I allowed Nick to put it up and down one too many times), but other than that, it is in great shape. Plays at it daily.


Susan
Mom to Nick 10/01
& Alex 04/04

[deborah_r]

I'm suspicious of that LT one, with the castle (which I think is supposed to be an improvement from their earlier poorly-reviewed sand/water table) because of the horrible reviews on Amazon, and also I saw it at Target to day for like $33...it's like they can't give this thing away! I'm thinking of getting the Step 2 table.

Does anyone know the approximate weight of the Step 2 table with a "normal" amount of sand in it? How many pounds of sand do you put in usually? I'm slightly fearful about putting anything super-heavy on our balcony, although I'm probably worried about nothing!

[MelissaTC]

I only put one bag of sand from Home Depot...I am not sure how much it is...maybe 5 lbs? That is all that was needed. The shipping weight according to TRU is 30 lbs but you figure some of that is the box. I think you should be ok. It really doesn't take alot of sand, especially compared to the sandboxes.

[dules]

I bought a bag at TRU today and it was a 50 lb bag. It really did weigh 50 lbs - I could barely get it into the cart! I'm thinking the whole thing won't fit in the table, though, it looks too small for that?

Best,
Mary

[MelissaTC]

No way did I put 50 lbs in that thing. I swear it took one small bag, maybe two tops. I just read the instructions online and it holds up to 20 lbs of sand. Not sure if that means you can put 10 lbs on each side (presuming you fill the water side with sand). The water side takes up to 2 gallons of water.

[zuzu]

Another vote for the Step2. Sarah loved using it with just water last summer and this year we moved up to sand. My only complaint is that the umbrella is not great quality. We use the one from her Step2 picnic table instead, since that is a little sturdier. We had a party last weekend and kids aged 1-10+ had fun playing with it. The rectangular shape allows for more kids to play at once, I think. Have also heard good things about the Berchet (sp?) but haven't seen one IRL.

Melissa, mom to Sarah (5/03)

[deborah_r]

Thanks, that is very helpful! I don't think it will be nearly as heavy as I was thinking it might be!

[deborah_r]

Thanks, that is very helpful! I don't think it will be nearly as heavy as I was thinking it might be!