Portable Sand Box

We first got the idea for a non-traditional sandbox when I needed something to keep my little boys engaged while I worked in my wood shop. My husband and I built a small wooden box in a corner of the shop where they could play in the sand. It worked beautifully! The sacrifice of space was well worth it.


Sadly, we left that setup behind when we moved, but not the idea. We now use a tub like this one which we can literally take anywhere. Our youngest, 4, loves it, and so do his big brothers.


We have taken it to the drive-in theater where he sits in the back of the van playing while we're waiting for the movie to begin. We've used it in the garage when we are working on a project out there. We've used it in my new wood shop to keep him out of trouble, and we've also found it works beautifully when we go camping! Anything that can keep a three or four year old engaged and in one spot is wonderful!


This year's vacation mandated we take the car for better gas mileage--which meant things like the sand box had to be left behind. But once we got to our cabin and unloaded, we set out for the local Wal-Mart to pick up an inexpensive wash basin. That, and a bag of play sand from the Lowe's next door had us back in business for less than ten dollars. The cabin's large porch provided a great spot to set up the little sand box which kept our littlest one entertained for hours. A cheap bag of "jewels" we picked up at the Dollar Store added extra fun to the digging!