Do You Let Your Child Play in the Sandbox?

July 1, 2009

Just about every kid loves a trip to the playground. Some children favor climbing up and flying down the slide. Others swing until their hearts are content and then there are those tots who love building castles or plowing through the sand.

A couple weeks ago we had a Mommy Dearest post about a mother who forbid her son to play in public sandboxes. The comments sparked some debate between parents who allow their kiddos to indulge in the sediment and others who fear it's a germ-infested area. What's your opinion?

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10 Comments

POPSUGAR Moms 3 years 46 weeks

We frequent the beach and my kids have a blast playing in the sand which I assume is a lot cleaner than a sandbox. My son is often entirely covered in it when we get home and the mess doesn't bother me a bit. I figure my children will only be young for so long — why not let them live a little.

MissSushi 3 years 46 weeks

The beach is a much larger area, with much more options for where you allow your children to play. A sandbox is a small area of enclosed sand amid some sort of other ground surface (grass, wood chips, etc). If a cat comes and pees a puddle a foot across on the beach, its easily avoidable as beaches are generally miles and miles wide. Not to mention, the areas most often played in have wet sand, as the waves often reach it. If a cat is using a sandbox as litter box, each time he uses it, it uses up more and more clean sand until youve got a lumpy sandbox full of pee and feces. Most of these sandboxes are NOT cleaned out very reguraly. That being said, I dont boycott them unless they are visibly filthy, very tiny, or smell badly. IT has nothing to do with germs, and more to do with not wanting my kid to play in waste.

anniekim 3 years 46 weeks

ditto, babysugar.

3 years 46 weeks

I am going to raise a point... isn't the BEACH 1 giant sandbox? And can't animals and seagulls poop all over it? So what's the difference? Are people going to start boycotting their kids from playing on the beach too?

Ericka 3 years 46 weeks

It's not just germs as anniems said. There's also diseases such as toxoplasmosis. It can be a REAL health hazard. I'd be picky, which sandbox my children play in.

anniems 3 years 46 weeks

It's not so much "germs" exactly...when I was little I got worms from a sandbox. The real problem is that when left uncovered animals like to use them for waste disposal.

Chouette4u 3 years 46 weeks

I avoid it somewhat just because of the mess factor.

runningesq 3 years 46 weeks

I really think we are raising a nation of children who have poor immune systems because mommy is terrified to let her little babies get anywhere near "icky germs." You build a healthy immunte system by being exposed!