I'm so indecisive - help me pick a sandpit for dd's 1st birthday!

[CanStarveWillStarve]

It was bad enough trying to decide what to get her at all, but now we've decided on a sandpit it's a minefield picking which one!

Any thoughts/experiences of any of the following, or can anyone recommend a different one?

We're normally wooden people but I like the flexibility of this, and the fact that it won't warp when left outside during winter.

I like the sun protection and sheer german-ness of this! but it doesn't say whether there's any means by which rain water can drain out.

I like the multipurpose nature of this although space isn't that tight in the garden. Is a one year old (who can walk no problem) more likely to play in one at ground level, or at sitting/standing level?

I like the bench seat aspect of this but am not sure it looks at sturdy as the others. Again, would a child actually be likely to use the seat or not?

Thoughts anyone?

(Price not a deciding factor at all btw).

i like the one with the shade over it. cant see why a sandpit should have seats,they normally sit in the sand dont they.im poor,i can only afford a cheap plastic argos one

the one with the sun protection is my favourite

not cos ofthe sun protection tho, cos they can sit in the sand, thats the most fun of a sandpit

i like the one with the sun protection as when you lower it, itr means cats wont crap in it.

I like the one with the sunshade i think best, you say it is for your dd's 1st birthday wil she not eat the sand? all so may be btter to be protected from the sun in summer, very nice sandpits though

lol misdee! Cats not a problem here - only 6 houses in middle of nowhere, and no one has a cat.

Seems unanimous so far!

We've got one like the bench one in your last link, except it came from Tchibo and has a sun canopy and was at least half the price (although I had to paint it myself). THey did them again last summer so they'llprobably have them in again this year too. DD won't know she didn't have it on her birthday.

These don't have bases - you eed to staple gun weed surpressing membrane stuff on the bottom which stops weeds/mud but lets water drain out.

We have got the one with the roof, love it, they spent hours last summer sat in there

Foxes crap in sandpits too BTW, lid is essential

Yes scooby, I suspect she would at the moment, but figure she won't play in it much until summer, and hopefully the novelty of eating it will wear off by then! Will perhaps put balls in it for her initially, which we have already.

Oh and there is no base so we put weedproof membrane in the bottom .

Oh that's a bit sneaky having no base but not saying so!

Yes, we do get foxes around here, and deer, so agree re lid!

1. Great - will last a long time but has no cover (which means the local cats with think its christmas and the kids will dig up a present every time they go in!)

1. Great idea, we have something similar thought not as posh. Ours does not have a base on it we just put weed suppressant under it which the water just drains through. Its a bit of a faff to put the canopy up (it drops down to cover the sand at night)

1. Great but personally I find the price a bit shocking - the only thing is they cant get their feet into the sand! Good that you can cover the sand at night though.

1. This is probably my favourite you can just put a parasol over it for shade and it says it has a cover. It has a 10 year guarantee so they must be confident about its strength.

The reason I said the one with the seats is because my kids sit on the edge of the one with the shade as its a bit small for 2 kids and 2 large excavators, shovels, tankers, lorries etc.

Also if you get a wooden one you will probably need to oil it before you put the sand in - I never did so I suspect it wont last long.

But unless the sun is directly overhead, won't the shade simply shade the ground behind or to one side of the sandpit?? I would get any ground level sandpit with a cover and then have a sunshade separately to position right over the sandpit on v sunny days.

I think a cover is a good idea - foxes, hedgehogs, rain etc.

And getting into the sand is better than sitting outside it - ime all they will do is tip / throw the sand out of those ones with legs.

i like the bench one.

i thought the first one didnt look like it would last as long and would fade with the weather. The 2nd one i thought the roof made it hard to tip it up to clean it out properly? i thought the 3rd one was too high for a 1 yr old but nice for older children.

the 4th seems big and cant be used to sit on as well as just a sandpit.

I found another contender!

any of these any good? tptoys

Ooh, like the boat.

I like the fourth one of your original set. The ones with built in sunshades are useless, as the sun moves Get one without, and a gazebo you can stand over it to provide shade.

Mine have always sat in the sand (dd2 lived in it summer and winter)but I had it on a concrete base, so I could sweep up the sand and put it back when they had tipped it out.

A lid is not an optional extra, it is essential.

i really like the boat

Bumping for any evening opinions to help confuse me further .

oh now i have to change my mind the Boat is fab