Gearhead Mom

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Sand and Water Table. Hold the Sand, Please.

Posted by Missy W. @ 1:13 PM

Someone mentions the word Spring and I am already daydreaming about Summer. So much for living in the present, eh? It doesn’t help that all you have to do is walk into a Target to be completely assaulted by rows after row of Summer! Fun! Specials! Either way, I’ve begun daydreaming of warm, lazy days and dusting off some of our outdoor gear. Sy’s all time favorite outdoor toy is her Step 2 Naturally Playful Sand and Water Activity Center. Dumb name, Step2, but a wicked cool device. 

It always amazes me how long a kid will play with water. Sy will stand around this table until I force her inside. The other day was not exactly warm, but I let her play with it anyway. Even after many warnings and transition speak, she threw such an earsplitting hissy fit about putting it away (when she was drenched, freezing and hungry) that my neighbor across the street called me to make sure I survived the tantrum. That’s nice. Anyway, she plays all kinds of games. Her whale and giraffe need baths a LOT, so I keep a container of eco-friendly dish washing soap and pop up sponges on hand to make bubble parties. Jenny sometimes adds food coloring to hers to really spice things up. I put our Ikea metal pots and pans out there and she has a grand time making soup. But most of the time she just enjoys splashing and filling. She never wants me to join in on the fun, either. She expects me to garden or do my thing while she creates her own Water World.

I find the brown faux wood plastic table to be much less obnoxious in my backyard than a bright blue and yellow one.The eight-piece accessory set includes an umbrella, two bridges, two boats, two pots and one shovel. We’ve long lost half the toys (where did they go??) but it doesn’t matter. We have more fun with things like a turkey baster, regular bowls, spray bottles and the dish soap from Trader Joe’s. I love the striped umbrella that comes with it. Ours has some spokes poking out (wind storm) but it still works well after almost 18 months. It is big enough to give both sides some shade, which is good since Sy and her pals spend loads of time getting completely soaked. The one-piece plastic cover makes for easy clean up and the elastic tie-downs on the ends of the lid keep it securely attached. We have a lot of trouble with raccoons in our yard, so I make sure I empty out ALL of the water and put the lid on and have never had a problem. 6/4/09 update: the little ties have definitely stretched out, so we have to monkey with it a little to keep the lid on tightly. It’s only mildly irksome.

The table is divided into two separate sides—one for water, the other for sand. It holds up to 20 lbs. of sand and two gallons of water, not included. Thanks for that tip, Step 2. Please send me two gallons of water with my purchase. I have never purchased the sand. I’m too uptight to have all that clumpy sand spread all over the house. Call me a mean mommy, but my girl doesn’t ever seem to miss it. More room for bubbly water fun. Molded-in roadways on the lid provide an additional place to play. Yeah, Sy tries to use the lid as a surf board and nothing more. You can detach the legs and use it on the ground for small fry. Apparently I never read that part before and never thought of it. I’d worry about a wee one falling in when I wasn’t looking, unless, of course I used the dreaded sand.

Snapshot:
I love this water table. It’s a sturdy work horse. It’s lasted many seasons outdoors and looks none the worse for wear. Jaunty umbrella keeps ‘em shaded. The jaunty umbrella has taken a beating in our yard, but we never once “stored it”.
Large enough for three or four kids to play with it simultaneously.
Do not need a degree in physics to put table together.
Super easy to clean.
While not cheap, I think this thing has paid for itself over and over again already.

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