cheap kids sandbox

Want a cheap and easy sandbox, wading pool for the kids?

Constructed sand boxes can be very expensive and difficult to keep clean.
Plus, we wanted something semi-portable, so the larger, heavier ones would not do.
I just shared this with a co-worker who will be having grandchildren visit this summer and thought I'd also post it here.
 
Just remember to always have adult supervision whenever water is involved with little ones.

When the grandchildren visit they enjoy this sand & water play as much as they do swimming in our in-ground pool. Even the older kids like building sand castles and small sand sculptures.

With this in mind we purchased 2 kids wading pools (the molded hard plastic type), usual cost $7 to $15 each, depending on store, size, sales, etc......just make sure you buy the same size so you can "sandwich" them together.  Ours are 4 feet in diameter.
Here in New England, Benny's has stacks of them available.  Last year, we saw them at ToysRus and k-mart for less than $10.

Using one for sand and then the other as the "cover" works beautifully to keep the sand clean.  The one we use for the sandbox "cover" can then also become a wading pool, which we place beside the one with sand.  They spend hours with this set up.  When playtime is done, we simply empty out the wading pool's water and "sandwich" it over the sand one until next time.  (Think of how they're stacked at the stores and how tightly they fit one upon the other.)

We then weigh down the cover with one brick in the center to prevent "fly aways" on windy days.  This also keeps out pets and any little critters that come around at night.  The sand toys need to be removed for the cover to fit tightly but the kids know to toss them in a small bucket or bin on the deck.

Play sand in bags is available at Home Depot and reasonably priced. We get 3 or 4 bags depending on how much "disappears" over time.

We put the pools on our wood deck (I like to put an indoor/outdoor rug underneath for a little "cushion").   Any sand spilled on the deck is easily swept up or falls through to the ground below.  I also get a soft dustpan brush at the dollar store...works like a charm to brush the sand off summer clothes and little feet.

At other times we move them down to the grass if entertaining needs mean we need more room on the deck.

If you just want a sandbox, the two still make a wonderful alternative to the more expensive ones, or the cheaper ones that aren't sold with covers.

We store them empty, standing on their sides in the shed during the winter.  They take up very little space this way.

a whimsical sand and sea tiara