Advice on garden toys needed please

[Moomin]

We have recently created a barked play area in our garden for dd who is 20 months. She already has a toddler swing. Her grandparents have offered to buy her something else for this area - up to £50's worth and we plan to add to it for the summer too. We were thinking along the lines of small slide; sand/water table; pop-up tent, etc. What have your kids ignored and what have they worn out? Any recommendations before we go ahead?

If you go for a sand pit keep in mind the sand gets chucked out by other kids, if not your own, and is pretty unusable in the winter. A slide though can be used all year round, you just have to wrap her up when its cold. We have the little tikes cube slide and have had it since dd1 was 9 months old. She is now 5 and still uses it. £50 well spent...and dd2 uses it too now!

The pop-up tent that we got DS (2y 4m) is only interesting for short periods, and slides/swings need a fair bit of adult interaction.

My DS can entertain himself for hours in a sandpit and has been fascinated by sand/water for a long time (at least since 12mo - and is now 28mo and the fascination is still growing). As charliecat says, though, he does chuck it all over the place - but this isn't a terrible thing in a gardening sense, as it all just sort of disappears.

So, if your DD was similarly fascinated I'd recommend the sand/water thing, provided that you replenished the sand sporadically. You could probably get a really good summer's use out it.

If she's anything like my kids, she won't need toys, she'll be happy digging in the bark!

Another good item is one of those Smoby picnic tables.

DSs used the sand pit in the winter (not that it was nice enogh to go out there often!). It has a lid and we replace the sand in the spring. It's essential to get a lid for it though.

Might not be totally applicable for the barked area - but my two loved the ELC car that they could drive around and also the ELC tramoline this was great for little ones as there is a handle to hold onto. Having said that there are TP versions os the same thing - but they were a success.

Hmmm ds1 enjoyed sandpit, but would only play if I stayed out there with him. But ds2 would live in the sandpit, if allowed - even when it's cold and no-one else around. He's 4 next week, and has been playing in it happily for about 3 years. (I seive the sand in the autumn, and put it all away for the winter, then get it out when it gets nice .. February this year!)

Never seen a 'sand table' in action, but strikes me as pretty useless. Not big enough - you need more sand to have fun. And you really need to get your feet in it/sit in it, don't you?

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Definitely a coverable sand pit.

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Pop up tent didn't interest ds1 (2yrs 1 mth) but entralled my niece who is a little older. Swing is great fun and the seat means you can wander off and leave them for a bit! We have just invested in a climbing frame/slide from Argos - £125 but worth every penny - lasts up to 8 years old and he is completely obsessed. I would recommend it whole heartedly.

Sand pit would worry me due to cats using it as a litter tray!

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I'm not organised enought to put the lid on!

The climbing frame from Argos gets another vote here, DS got it 2 years ago and is still using it, as now is DD (and DH I might add). It comes with a tunnel too so you can actually add your cube-y things to it. Sand pit a success for DD, as currently is the wheelbarrow set from Argos - £7.99 I think - which has digging things and plant pots and stuff.

hello everyone.

i have read these comments with interest and decided to get a sand pit for ds. i would be grateful if anyone could please recommend a good supplier?

TIA

Bossykate - we bought a wooden sandpit with a lid from our local garden centre. DD loves it and it is bigger than the usual plastic ones. The fact that the lid is slats of wood means the rain/moisture can get through and the sand is not too dry. Sorry can't remember the make but most big garden centres do them

DS got a sand table for his first birthday and has consistently loved it. I know others have said a pit is better, but we have found this great for him. As a non-crawler he was just about steady enough to toddle between it and the garden bench. So it gave him great access to the garden at that point. I could watch him from the kitchen window while I prepared meals. And the water side was easy to drain. He is 2.3 now and still loves it.

Also easier to move round garden. And DS has access to a huge indoor pit at nursery 3 days a week.

Toys R us - table sand pit worked for us. It is divided into 3 for sand/water/toys and comes complete with a top. You can therefore also use it as a table to draw on and or eat on. We have had our for 1.5 years and it has worked out very econimical. (Cost around £20.00 I think).

John Lewis also do a sand pit shaped like a boat with the lid doubling up as a road/waterway. This seems to be good if you want your child to sit in the sand. Otherwise I would go for the table version.

Hope that helps

thanks very much for these suggestions - it will make the world of difference to us this summer if we have a few more things to amuse ds outside!

Find a good second hand shop and get some slides, seesaws etc. I picked up some nearly new for £8 each 9Little Tikes ones) and a bench picnic table for £6. I just Jet hosed them down and they look new - they are only going to get trashed anyway over the next few years in the garden. My kids love it - oh and we too have a much used sand pit. It is a stand up one and I have since seen the bigger wooden ones with lids and wish I had gone for one as they can sit really easily inside the pit and play (four toddlers).