How to make a toddler sand and water pit for less than £15
Now that the hot weather has really and truly established itself (its currently 24 degrees celsius and the hottest day of the year) I decided to invest in some garden toys for J to play with as it is his first summer where he has been able to move under his own steam and go out and play in the garden.
Our small yard consists of patio slabs and gravel so a slide, swing and paddling pool are not really appropriate which is where I got the idea of getting him a sand and/or water table.
I looked at a few online retailers websites and was surprised to see how expensive these things actually were. They typically start at around £15 and on average are about £40-£50. I think that is a little excessive for something he can only use in the summer for a few years, don't you?
I took a look at the £15 tables but they all seemed quite small and if J were to have friends over or a future sibling there didn't look to be a lot of room to play so I very nearly gave up on the idea altogether when I had a brain wave - I would make my own. Here they are:
What you need:
2 plastic boxes - you may have some of these lying around unused (I had one spare) otherwise you can buy them fairly cheaply if you shop around. The water box was an old Ikea box which we weren't using and the sand box was a £5 in Tesco. Both boxes are the 'under the bed' style boxes.
Play-sand - mine was purchased from Sainsbury's for £3 but all the supermarkets seem to be selling sand at the moment. Alternatively if you live near a beach you may be able to obtain some for free.
Toys - I bought a £2 water wheel and a £1 bag of dinosaur sand moulds from Tesco, everything else was stuff we already owned including bath toys (the boats, net with creatures and watering can) and the bucket and spade purchased on last years holiday. Take a look what you have around your home and chances are you will have something you can re-purpose too!
Total cost:
1 x plastic box £5
1 x bag of sand £3
1 x water wheel £2
1 x sand moulds £1
= £11
Toddler Verdict
J absolutely loved them - here he is enjoying both!
Cleaning up
If you buy boxes/ have boxes with lids clearing up is easy. The water box just needs emptying and a quick rinse. As for the sandbox. You can just pop the lid on ready to store and then reuse next time.
0 comments