Should I get a sand pit or a sand and water table?

[MrsFogi]

DD is 15 mths and I think she'd enjoy messing about with sand but I can't work out whether (now and going forward) she'd have more fun with a table or a pit - any views?

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sandpit - ours is still going strong 7 years later, long after interest in any table one would ahve expired. 15months is still quite little though (might eat sand/yukky water and not be able to manipulate toys well)

I would just go for a hygienic water play table and leave the sand at the beach where it belongs.
Play sand is only lovely in it's bag and when you first pour it in the pit/table.
After that it just makes a germ ridden soup that gets everywhere and is hell to clean up.
Sand in cat litter trays is ok for mark making though.

Water Water Water.

Sand is filthy, it starts off delightful and ends up, full of rain water and strange looking fleas. vom

We've got the ELC sand/water table and DS (1) loves it. It was full of water but now contains sand. Yes, he eats it a bit but he'd do that in a sand pit. They all do it!

Ours has a lid, so keeps pretty clean.

He likes it with sand or water, to be honest. I like it because if he tries to face plant into it, it will topple over, hence not the drowning risk that a paddling pool is. When he's older we can always take the legs off.

So I'd recommend it!

I had a sand / water table when we lived at our old house, and didn't have space for a sand pit, and it was rarely used. We have now moved, and have a bigger garden, and a big sand pit, and ds is in it all the time! We have a proper cover for it and a membrane down underneath it, and it is really clean.

I can see the attraction of a table for younger children, and if you don't have much space, but for great imaginative play, a proper sand pit can't be beaten!

Ours had a lid LL but if I didn't remember to put it on, well you know yourself it just didn't get done.

we have a table divided into 2 but it just has sand in as water and sand alongside each other is disater!!!
then we have paddling pool for water

You can't sit in a sand and water table and have fun burying your feet.

(dd3's over my shoulder comment)

we have a pit, but it isnt big enough really now both the girls want to play, so we have been looking at a play table to get in addition so one can be in the pit and one at the table and then swap.

I'm with snowwonder.
I hate the mess that mixing sand and water makes. So sand in both side and perfect for them to stand at and have fun with. Keeps them quiet for ages. Paddling pool is a whole other game.

sandpit - my kids sit in it for hours and they are 8 and 5. Getting messy is GOOD

yes, if you do get a table, ignore the idyllic pic on the box, it's sand OR water, otherwise a recipe for disaster!

At the moment there is a sand pit on Tchibo. wooden with a lid that turns into benches, Also has a uv canopy, just bought it as it was about £55.

Sandpit but with a proper lid, not a nylon cover....

Wow, thanks for all the replies! I saw that one poppyh but unfortunately it was sold already.

Sandpit, one of those ELC type ones with a lid you pick up at carboot sales for a fiver! DS2 used his for a good 3 years in a row. We used to sit him in it under the large oblong plastic outdoor table to work as a sunshade. He had all his old matchbox cars in it and couldn't have benn happier! I used to dampen the sand to make it stick together. As long as the sand is aired regularly (ie left out in the sun with the lid off) it doesn't get manky. Get proper sandpit sand and be prepared to top it up as it gets spilled.

We now use the pool as a paddling pool and a foot cooler for me!

Hi

I have a four year old and only have a small garden so she only had a few toys for the garden but unfortunately we are now needing to move into an apartment. I feel guilty as feel she's going to miss out. All her friends seem to have everything from paddling pools to sand pits. I feel even more guilty as due to the size of the garden I never could have a paddling pool which isn't my fault however the more I think about it she could have had a sand table but she's never expressed interest so never bothered. She's never without don't get me wrong but seeing some posts on here I feel like I have deprived her of hours of the fun in the sand.

I replied on this, DS is now 22, this is a zombie thread.