Quick! The Telegraph would like your comments on the great British sandpit shortage

[HelenMumsnet]

Morning all.

The Telegraph is planning to run a story on the not-so-gradual disappearance of sandpits from public parks and playgrounds - and they want to know what Mumsnetters think about it all.

Is there a public sandpit near you? Do you take your kids to it? And would you (and they) miss it if it closed?

Or do you dislike/avoid them - and think it's a good idea they're disappearing?

We use two in Highgate Wood that are very popular. This park is clearly not short on resources and is looked after brilliantly by the City of London Corporation (I have no affiliations!). Another great sandpit nearby is Queen's Park and actually also Golder's Hill Park on Hampstead Heath and - surprise, surprise - after a bit of googling it seems they are all looked after by City of London corporation. It has to come down to cash at the end of the day. Parks and local councils making cutbacks just won't do the checks and maintenance required. I remember finding the rotting carcass of a Jay with maggots and all as a child - that was a science lesson I could have done without! I think sandpits have always had the potential to be dodgy but in our era of 'health and safety' paranoia and legal fears we are no longer willing to take risks. Playing with sand is such an important part of growing up. I'd be miserable if I lived in an area less well covered.

There was a huge sandpit in Carlisle and the kids loved playing in it. It had diggers and sieves and water and all kinds of stuff! It was the most popular feature of the park.

I haven't found one yet here in Wiltshire.

But my kids just love playing with sand. Yes, it gets everywhere, but they're having fun! It encourages them to use their imaginations, it helps hand/eye co-ordination, for kids with special needs it constitutes a safe area to play in.

So often now, kiddies parks have your typical swings, slides, roundabout and climbing frame. Brilliant for kids with agility. But for kids who aren't agile, or for very young children, the sandpit offered them a chance to play too.

I'm all for sandpits. I understand they must be a nightmare to keep clean and hygienic, but we pay our council tax don't we?

I don't know of any near me except at the local kids farm. My ds loves it. I remember one in all the parks by us when I was growing up. Its a shame to see them phased out. That said, we don't have one at home but only because we haven't bothered buying one!

They have a Trust for truss purchasing, I dimly remember, and a fund for retired butlers. Very sound.

we have to keep our sandpit at home covered when not is use due to the cats.... they really are attracted to it as a loo!

i'm in ireland and have never seen a public sandpit here, shame really.

surely they could put some sort of cover on it that the parents could lift off and simply put back on when leaving... a hinged lid of some decription maybe?

my kids play with nothing else for longer than 5 mins but will play in sand for hours.

I have no idea where our nearest sandpit is (apart from the one in our garden!).

I think the trouble is that they are very likely to attract dogs, cats and older teenage kids who may not treat them with respect and therefore they need a lot more regular looking after than swings and slides etc. With councils cutting their spending wherever possible this is probably why they seem to be on the decrease.

Actually, thinking about it a bit more - perhaps because we have a massive sandy beach in our town the council don't think we need them in the parks!

We dont have sandpits near us....obviously being so close to the sea we dont need them!

However I would only use one if it was well maintained and not used as a toilet for cats etc.....not dissimilar to some of the local beaches where dog owners dont pick up!

In terms of a cover that some people are suggesting - I'm not sure how big most of them are, but the ones local to me are huge - like the size of a suburban garden - and have their own climbing frames and slides and so on, actually in the sand pit.

You couldn't cover it yourself - it would take a team of people and possibly a crane in the case of some of the bigger climbing frames.

I don't think our council bothers covering it - it's securely fenced against domestic animals (and surrounded by busy roads) and although there are probably wild animals within the park, I wouldn't imagine they are too much of a problem. I think they just rake it every day.

we had a good one near us when we were in London

clean and well-kept

not many cats about though (and no dogs allowed in the children's park) plus it's locked at night

now we have many great playgrounds but no sand

Our local town park has just be re-fitted with great new play eqipment, and masses of sand.

Personally I'm abit about the sand, and would have much rather they had installed nice squishy rubber flooring.

Chilren dont' seem to realise that sand hurts if it gets in eyes, and I had to explain in to my 10 and 6 year old who were throwing it around.

I've also had to pick up quite a bit of rubbish from the sand, including a plaster a child pulled off and discarded - rubbish can easily become hidden, and IMO become a health hazard.

NOt so much of a problem in our local park, but when I lived in Paris, where most parks had sand pigeons would wander around, and presumable speread thier germs though the sand.

Oh, and it gets in shoes so my DC's end up in bare feet or socks, and I have to keep taking mine off to give them a shake.

I'm praying the sand in our local park remains well maintained, or I might have to start avoiding that play area.

Our local town park has just be re-fitted with great new play eqipment, and masses of sand.

Personally I'm abit about the sand, and would have much rather they had installed nice squishy rubber flooring.

Chilren dont' seem to realise that sand hurts if it gets in eyes, and I had to explain in to my 10 and 6 year old who were throwing it around.

I've also had to pick up quite a bit of rubbish from the sand, including a plaster a child pulled off and discarded - rubbish can easily become hidden, and IMO become a health hazard.

NOt so much of a problem in our local park, but when I lived in Paris, where most parks had sand pigeons would wander around, and presumable speread thier germs though the sand.

Oh, and it gets in shoes so my DC's end up in bare feet or socks, and I have to keep taking mine off to give them a shake.

I'm praying the sand in our local park remains well maintained, or I might have to start avoiding that play area.

Our local town park has just be re-fitted with great new play eqipment, and masses of sand.

Personally I'm abit about the sand, and would have much rather they had installed nice squishy rubber flooring.

Chilren dont' seem to realise that sand hurts if it gets in eyes, and I had to explain in to my 10 and 6 year old who were throwing it around.

I've also had to pick up quite a bit of rubbish from the sand, including a plaster a child pulled off and discarded - rubbish can easily become hidden, and IMO become a health hazard.

NOt so much of a problem in our local park, but when I lived in Paris, where most parks had sand pigeons would wander around, and presumable speread thier germs though the sand.

Oh, and it gets in shoes so my DC's end up in bare feet or socks, and I have to keep taking mine off to give them a shake.

I'm praying the sand in our local park remains well maintained, or I might have to start avoiding that play area.

Our local town park has just be re-fitted with great new play eqipment, and masses of sand.

Personally I'm abit about the sand, and would have much rather they had installed nice squishy rubber flooring.

Chilren dont' seem to realise that sand hurts if it gets in eyes, and I had to explain in to my 10 and 6 year old who were throwing it around.

I've also had to pick up quite a bit of rubbish from the sand, including a plaster a child pulled off and discarded - rubbish can easily become hidden, and IMO become a health hazard.

NOt so much of a problem in our local park, but when I lived in Paris, where most parks had sand pigeons would wander around, and presumable speread thier germs though the sand.

Oh, and it gets in shoes so my DC's end up in bare feet or socks, and I have to keep taking mine off to give them a shake.

I'm praying the sand in our local park remains well maintained, or I might have to start avoiding that play area.

Opps! Sorry!

Getting kind of fed up with telegraph journos using MN as a short cut to research because they are up against a deadline, then not fairly representing our views. happened with the older mums thread... hours of genuine engaged debate resulted in one line that supposedly reflected our views. Hmmph.

I can't help feeling a bit sad at the number of people on this thread who wouldn't let their DCs play in sandpits - we are lucky enough to have two near us in Bristol, one walkable and one a short drive, and they are by far the most popular things in each play area.

I've never seen any cat poo or other poo in either one, despite both being in residential areas, and the dirtiest thing I've seen in there is probably a child's sock!

My DS absolutely loves them and spends ages playing in there, and yes, there's sand all over the hallway, but then I didn't have children to have a pristine house

I would be very sorry to see them replaced with 'safe' play areas which let's face it, aren't nearly as much fun.

Rhubarb - I don't know where you are in Wiltshire but there's a decent sandpit at the Whitehall garden centre in Lacock.

cat

po

and really have the telegraph not got blondes at race courses to worry about
or 6th formers getting a level stressed and jumpign up and down

I have noticed though, play areas with sandpits do attract a more more Boden clad kids than the average play area....

I have noticed though, play areas with sandpits do attract a more more Boden clad kids than the average play area....

LYNETTE DEAR

[shouts in ear trumpet]

YOU'RE REPEATING YOURSELF AGAIN DEARIE.

DON'T WORRY, THE NURSE WILL BE ROUND WITH OUR NICE PILLS AND THEN IT'S TIME FOR CORRIE.

Rofl!!

Yes, through the power of Mumsnet, I have been told about a local park that has a sandpit (and paddling pool). Located at Churchfields Recreation Ground, Weybridge - a public recreation ground since 1908.

Have taken the children I nanny there once so far. They enjoyed playing in the sand. No signs of 'foreign objects' in the sand. When we visited, the sandpit was used by numerous children.

As I have only been once so far, can't say if I will miss it if it were to be removed... but given the amount of people using it on our visit, my view is that it would be missed.

Another popular sandpit is at Sunningdale - managed by Sunningdale Parish Council. I visited this playground with sandpit a lot in a previous nanny job. It is very popular with Sunnindale locals in my view.

ThingOne - has that always been your nickname on here? You and I might not be too far away from each other.