Sandbox sans Sand
Materials
*Plastic bin (we use the underbed size) or cardboard box
*Dry goods (oatmeal, beans, pasta, rice, etc.)
*and/or wet goods (ice, cooked beans, cooked pasta (bonus if you make them colored), veggies, food scraps)
Bonus items -- measuring cups, teaspoons, whisk, wooden spoons, plastic mixing bowls, etc.
Directions
- Place dry/wet goods in bin/box
2. Supervise play
Background & tips
When my daughter started to get more active, I needed something for her to safely do. I accidentally bought some weird cut of oatmeal and got an idea using one of my books.
I used one of the shallow plastic storage bins (holding clothes) and dumped the dry oatmeal in it. I plopped my pre-crawler in it and she loved just touching the oatmeal. I loved oatmeal because it’s good for skin (I’m thinking oatmeal baths are what you do for poison ivy right?) and if she eats it, it’s food - just be mindful of choking. Plus when we were done I just put the storage lid back on or put it all back in the original container depending on how lazy I was.
We did this whenever it was too hot to play. We even used cardboard boxes - when we used diaper boxes I cut off the flaps and put tape on the edges to make them not sharp. If your child leans, make sure it’s against a wall or better a corner, because if the container has high walls and the child leans, they probably will flip.
I forgot about this until COVID-19 when the playground sandbox closed. She was really sad by this and my husband was getting rid of all our expired dry goods.
Dry goods are great because you can reuse them. Wet objects are fun too just make sure you have time or another activity lined up so you can adequately clean up.
If your kid is mouthy, use bigger objects that aren’t choking hazards or softer edible objects. Always supervise your child. I often have this box in the kitchen while I cook, I look at her and throw food scraps (I don’t do anything sticky or hard to clean up) in the box for her to play with. I don’t look at her as frequently but you cannot trust children - you cannot trust teenagers - I’m not quite sure at what age you can start trusting your kids, you can have faith in them but it’s always better to be safe than sorry at this age.
I always use cooking tools (that aren’t sharp) as toys because they’re food-grade, so safe for the mouth, usually dishwasher safe, serve a purpose outside of baby, and usually have a good handle. A favorite I use is old spice containers and unopened (still sealed) sprinkles that my daughter plays with - I usually get the cheapest ones and let her have it as her “play food” because real play food is kind of expensive.