sandbox w/o the lid???

[cchavez]

We want to build a sand box under our jungle gym but DH doesn' t think we need a lid. He friend built one w/o a lid and has said they don't have a problem w/ the animals....what do you guys think? What about the rain?

[pb&j]

We had one without a lid at our old house (the previous owners built it) pre-kids. It was always a mess - leaves always blew into it and it was impossible to get them all out. The box was underneath a playhouse, so it was mostly out of the rain, but still managed to get lots of debris in it. I would definitely push for a lid.

[bluestar2]

I can't imagine having a sandbox without a lid, especially if there are any cats in the neighborhood. At DC's preschool they have a sandbox covered with a tarp , and on more than a few ocassions the neighborhood cats have used the sand which spilled out for a litter box. The yard is fenced all the way around but the cats seem to find a way in. I wonder also if it got damp or wet from rainwater how much bacteria or other organisms would grow in it.

[new_mommy25]

We have a Kidkraft boat sandbox that doesn't have a lid. It does have a mesh cover that you put on to keep out animals. It rained a ton last December and January and the sand did get wet. The kids had lots of fun with it because it is so much easier to mold. I would go out and scoop it around so it would dry faster. Now that it is March and the crazy rains have ceased the sand is completely dry and totally fine.

[MMMommy]

I think a lid is a must. Can't imagine no lid. Cats will use the sandbox as a toilet. A friend of mine left her Kidkraft sandbox (the boat shaped one) uncovered, and her toddlers told her "there's poo poo in here."

[jessicallyn]

We've been through 3 sandboxes so far (we keep needing a bigger one as the children get bigger - and more of them) and any sandbox left uncovered for more than 15 minutes got "used" by a neighborhood cat. Very gross

But, if we used a tight-fitting tarp or a plastic lid and any moisture or leaves were already in the sand, it would ferment on a warm day. Also, very gross.

Our current sandbox is a big, homemade affair under a maple tree. I bought one of those animal deterrent sprayers and set it up for the first month or so, just to convince the neighborhood beasties that it wasn't a good place to do their business. Also, I bought a mesh tarp to provide a physical barrier (against cats and leaves) that still lets the sand dry out and "breathe". It's not a gorgeous cover, but so far, 1 year later, no grossness.

Good luck,
Jess

ps

The animal sprayer is by Hart's and is a sprinkler head on a stick that attaches to a hose. It has some sort of motion sensor on it and when a neighborhood kitty or racoon, go in front of it, they get a surprising and unpleasant shower. But no injury.

[rlu]

Growing up we had a sandbox that covered approx 1/4 the backyard so no cover. We had a dog so the cats stayed away (and the dog was trained to use "her" area, not the sand box). We raked the sand frequently to get leaves out. I can remember using strainers to shift the sand to get the pebbles, etc., that seem to appear from nowhere out. Lots of maintenance, but we had so much fun and definitely the coolest backyard of the neighborhood.

We have a small sandbox that DH made out of plywood, he's working on making a cover since we keep our dog inside and the sandbox is near a tree that drops little berries that I do not want to have to strain out of the sand.