I am considering buying a sand box for my children. Is there an alternative to the sand that is less messy?
I started thinking that maybe some kind of beads would be good, but I’m not sure where you would be able to get smooth beads in sufficient quantity and a sufficiently low price to make that practical. Then I thought of — don’t laugh — kitty litter. I don’t mean the clay kind, but there are some newer kinds of kitty litter that look like little round beads. I can’t remember the brand name, but they have one product they call “pearls” because they look little round white beads. But I thought about it a little more and realized those aren’t a good idea because they’re made of a silicate that absorbs moisture and could be very dangerous if swallowed. So I did a little searching, and someone suggested using black beans. I’ll copy and paste below what they suggested, but when I thought about it, beans would be ideal. They’re nice and smooth so they’re safe to play in. They’re not dangerous if swallowed. And they’re really cheap and easy to find (at least here in Miami where black beans are
Several years ago (when my kids were toddlers), the local fast food chains had play areas with, among other things, a cage partially filled with colorful balls about the size of baseballs. Lots of fun to ‘swim’ in. Might not be exactly wht you’re looking for if you want the dumptruck, roadbuiding, sandcastle kind of play for your kids. I can’t think of a good alternative to sand for things like that. Perhaps pea gravel (smooth stones about the size of jelleybeans or marbles) would work well for you. You’ll have to keep dirt out of the play areas whatever you choose.
