What is your favorite sandbox?

[arivecchi]

DH and I have decided to get a sandbox. Preferably a larger one. Any recs?

We are not interested in sand tables. TIA!

[tiapam]

Our red plastic Little Tikes crab is holding up well and we bought it used off CL. It is one of the bigger plastic ones, but still kind of small, which is fine because we have a small yard. It would be nice to have a bigger one now that both DC play in it, so I would go as big as your yard will allow. And a cover is essential!

http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1113

[RunnerDuck]

We had the Kidkraft boat at one time and I HATED it/ One of my dumbest purchases ever. My dad has one of the naturally playful Step 2 ones with the lid - I really think for most kids you can't go wrong with any of the smallish plastic lidded ones.

[baileygirl]

We bought ours from costco.com, but I am pretty certain it is the hexagon one listed here: http://www.hearthsong.com/product.asp?pcode=1132

Purchased from costco, ours came with a breathable cover (I have no clue if it is the cover listed on the page...but it would pretty pricey for the cover we have). We haven't had any problems with cats or other animals getting into it. The sandbox is great because both of my boys (4 and almost 2) can play in it together with lots of room to spare. We have had it for 2 years now, and have no real complaints (well the cover we received isn't durable) and the boys play in it every day. It isn't something I see them outgrowing for a long time.

ETA: If you go to hearthsong and click on the seat features, the cover shown is what we have.

[kristac]

We have this one and have been happy with it.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2336213

[mnosky1]

My mom has the naturally playful one and it works well and looks nice. We have a small plastic boat one (it was 90 cents on clearance but is way too small and sand and dirt gets in the crevices which is a pain).
I think the bigger, the better and if you you have some time and very basic handman skills, I think building one is the way to go. Of course, this has been on my to do list for 2 years but I swear I am getting it done this spring! I think corner seats for adults are a nice thing to have so will add those in and if you make it, it's just an extra piece of wood. There are tons of free plans online.

[arivecchi]

We have this one and have been happy with it.

http://www.toysrus.com/product/index...ductId=2336213

I ended up getting this one. Hope the kids like it! DH wants to build one but I am not waiting around for that!

[citymama]

Our red plastic Little Tikes crab is holding up well and we bought it used off CL. It is one of the bigger plastic ones, but still kind of small, which is fine because we have a small yard. It would be nice to have a bigger one now that both DC play in it, so I would go as big as your yard will allow. And a cover is essential!

http://www.step2.com/product.cfm?product_id=1113

I'll second that recc. My ILs have the green turtle version and its been thru many years, many kids, and has substituted for a wading pool in the summer. Highly recommended.

[essnce629]

We had the Step 2 Naturally Playful one for DS1 and loved it. I had to sell it when we moved cross-country into an apartment, but I want to buy another one for DS2 now that we're in a house again.

[elliput]

We have this model sandbox also. I've been very happy with it and it is plenty big for both my kids to play in at one time. One thing I really love about it is that the lid does not easily blow off. Even with the high winds that we get in the spring, I have never had to retrieve the lid.