We have a small backyard and a 4 year old who loves being outside. One of the things he really enjoys is playing in a sandbox. We had been using a large plastic container with a lid temporarily. It was big enough to hold a few bags of play sand and a lot of little toys. Then my husband started talking about a sandbox he had seen at Wal*Mart that he felt my son would love. The sandbox had a built in crane and bucket to load sand into your child’s own dump truck. The removable lid doubled as a road surface when placed next to the box.

Since we were about to visit the grandparents he decided to wait knowing they always insist on buying a couple of large gifts during each visit. Sure enough, they wanted the $100 bill they gave us to go toward the sandbox. They didn’t carry the box at the Wal*Mart in their town but we did buy it as soon as we returned. The Wal*Mart price of the Little Tikes Construction Sandbox is $99.

Description

The large plastic box is irregularly shaped and has a bumpy surface to make it appear like gray boulders. Attached to one end is a digger (crane) than can pick up sand and dump it back into the box. Since it doesn’t swing outward it can’t dump sand out of the box. The child manipulates the levers and my son has no problem operating it.

A large blue rectangular bucket is attached to a side as well. With this bucket, sand can be loaded into a dump truck placed in the sandbox. It just so happened that my son owned the same dump truck that was shown on the box and in the ad. The truck is not included. Finally, another area that looks like a small slide stretches from the edge of the box down into the sand.

When the top is removed it can be placed right next to the box to be used to drive even more construction trucks into the sand. The top has the same bumpy appearance as the rest of the box. Assembly is required. Only a couple of tools are needed and it took my husband about 15-20 minutes to put it together. It calls for a screwdriver and hammer.

The sandbox measures 64.50 inches in length x 47.50 inches deep and is 13.50 inches in height. It holds up to 300 pounds of sand. The recommended ages are 3 and up. The box in which it was contained was absolutely huge. It took some work but we did get it into the back of our van. A truck or SUV would probably accommodate it as well, but those who only have a car will probably need it delivered. Strapping it to the roof is also an option.

The sandbox is big enough for the kids to crawl right in, and that’s what they like to do. My eleven year old daughter likes playing right along with her brother. Much of the time though is spent dumping sand with the crane and bucket. The plastic is pretty rugged but I don’t let them sit on the lid. A neighbor boy tried jumping on it and it does buckle slightly.

Pros and Cons

Every single review I read about this toy at Amazon.com complained of the lid design. Each person said that their sand was ruined and always stayed wet because water is able to get inside. I have not found that to be the case. Not only did I test it out by pouring several buckets of water on top and in the side seam where one part of the lid does not overlap the edge, but also checked it after a very heavy downpour. The only water that got in was a small trickle at the very edge of the sand. The majority of the lid overlaps the sides of the box and it would be impossible for water to enter. However, on the side where the toys are stationed, it has a small lip that creates a seam and does not overlap. The seal is fairly tight and while a large amount of water can allow a few ounces to spill over into a couple of inches of sand, I don’t find this to be a big problem. His toy cars and the vast majority of sand stayed completely dry. I have a feeling that the people complaining of wet sand have overfilled it. I can see where the lid might not fit correctly if the sand rises above a certain point. We have 3 fifty pound bags of sand in ours.

The lid will also keep cats from using it as a litter box. The bottom line is that I believe the lid does a good job of protecting the sand. I do feel that it could be better though. It’s not perfect, but is quite adequate. Along the seam a bit of water can also stand and this could be a problem if you live in an area with a lot of mosquitoes. Luckily we don’t. I think the same can be said of many outdoor toys though. The problem would be completely avoided if you have a covered area in which to place it.

The only other thing that could be perceived as a minor problem is that the design allows a moderate amount of sand to travel to the outer portion of the box where the lid will not cover it. When the sand is being dumped over the edge or on the “road” that goes into the sand, some of it comes to rest on the bumpy surface. Since it’s not smooth and flat it makes it a little difficult to push back into the box when they’re done. A basic sandbox usually wouldn’t have this problem, but then again, without those unique qualities such as rough, uneven surfaces, this box wouldn’t be as fun.

Bottom Line

The Little Tikes Construction Sandbox has been a big hit around here. The kids have played in it every day and it has attracted many of the neighborhood construction enthusiasts. Adults can probably find something to complain about but there have been absolutely no complaints from the kids around here. Little Tikes makes a similar box in a castle design that might be more suitable for little girls who don’t like playing with trucks and cranes.

We have no regrets about the purchase. I think we’ll get several years of fun out of it. It’s a unique and creative sandbox with lots of ways to keep kids busy. It may have a slight design flaw, but all in all we are quite satisfied with it.


(Note: It can also be purchased online at bluelight.com and several places, but the shipping charges are as high as $80. It would pay to look for it at Wal*Mart, KMart or toy stores)












Recommended: Yes

Amount Paid (US$): 99
Type of Toy: Other
Age Range of Child: Other