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Hannahsmom
06-21-2003, 07:25 PM
I'm looking to build a sandbox for my daughter (18mos). I have a few questions for those of you who already have sandboxes:

What size do you have and are you happy with the size?

Where can I get sand - clean sand, I don't like the sand I've seen at Home Depot - it's very dirty. Also, I've heard about chemicals in sand that may cause cancer?? Anyone know about this?

Covers - I could buy or make one. I'd like to have some sort of mesh/fabric cover to keep critters out. Where can I buy this? Or where can I buy commercial-type fabrics for making my own?

Any help is appreciated!
Thanks,
Barbara

zoesmom
06-26-2003, 10:53 AM
I don't know about fabric, but I bought our sand at Kids-R-US. It is specifically for sandboxes. I bought a purple dinosaur sandbox from them as well, which is a great size for 1-2 18-month-olds. I was originally going to build one, too, but the dinosaur seemed like a good size, can also be used as a little wading pool, and comes with a cover. Since I couldn't commit to a location in our yard where I would want to build a sandbox, the dino seemed like the best option:)

lbess
08-30-2003, 04:06 PM
You want to get "Play Sand" (available at hardware or toy stores), made specifically for sandboxes. Builder's sand is the kind to avoid, as it contains higher levels of dust that can be toxic to breathe.

Play sand isn't going to be like the fine sand that you make sand art with -- it's got little rocks in it. If the rocks bother you, you can sift them out, but my 2-year-old likes to look for the little rocks in her sandbox...

jal
09-17-2003, 01:20 PM
I've heard about chemicals in sand that may cause cancer?? Anyone know about this?

From what I understand based on some online research, you want to use play sand because builder's sand contains silica dust that can be harmful.