The Moon Sand - Sand Castle Kit - An Indoor Sandbox!
Written: Dec 18 '06
|
Product Rating:
|
|
| Durability: |
 |
|
|
Pros: Fun, easy to set up, easy to clean up, reasonably priced. An indoor sandbox!
Cons: None.
The Bottom Line: Moon Sand is the newest way to enjoy a sandbox, and this Castle Kit with its own play area is a great idea.
|
|
|
| Staceys1's Full Review: Spinmaster Moon Sand Castle Kit |
As with many children, when mine see something advertised on television over and over again, they want it. Some products, they have learned, work wonderfully when the actors are using them, but are just a big hassle at home. One such disaster was Floam, and this year when we began seeing commercials for Moon Sand sets, I was unsure of purchasing it. However, since this product was not just sold on television, but was on the shelves in reputable stores in my area, and my children wanted to try it, I made the purchase
This Sand Castle set comes with a one-pound package of white Moon Sand, a sandbox carry case, a playmat, a shovel and four mold with which to create a sandcastle. The included sand is coated with a wax-like substance so that it sticks together when molded, just as if you were to add a bit of water to sand at the beach.
The instructions indicate that the special ingredient that is added to enable the sand to be molded is colorless and odorless, and that it may leave a residue on the molds after a number of uses. It does not say anything about leaving a residue on furniture, but just in case, we always use this product on a plastic tablecloth and try to keep the sand contained in the carry case or on the playmat. Spin Master claims that the sand will never dry out, and so far, after a few weeks of being opened, it is still as pliable as the first day. The instructions state that water (or liquid of any kind) should never be mixed with the sand, and that soap or liquid soap should not come in contact with it either, though it does not state what might happen. The sandbox and playmat are surface washable, and it is suggested that the molds be cleaned with a dishwashing detergent that is "tough on grease".
Setting up this toy is fairly simple. First, unfold the lime green inflatable sandbox and inflate it. You will now have an indoor, portable sandbox, measuring about 14" by 20", with walls just under 2" high. Insert the playmat (a plastic coated cardboard scene) into the pocket on the bottom, making sure that the picture faces the clear side of the pocket. Dump the sand into the sandbox and playtime can begin.
In addition to a plastic lime green shovel, this set comes with four plastic molds: a blue turret, a blue wall, a blue base and a lime green bridge. To create your sandcastle, push sand into each of the molds that you want to use, invert the mold and gently squeeze it to release the molded sand. Occasionally, we have had to tap the mold a few time to get it to release, but it generally comes out easily and in one piece.
The sandbox carry case is intended for storing the sand when not in use, and to my surprise, it actually works! A flap is attached to the sandbox (which can be tucked underneath and out of sight while molding the sand), and it covers the playing area, attaching to the perimeter by fairly strong Velcro. If the playmat is removed from its pocket, the carry case can be folded, secured with two Velcro tabs and carried by the plastic handles that are attached. To do this, at least a little bit of the air needs to be removed from the walls or the sandbox will not fold easily. The plastic covering does keep the sand inside, and no sand falls out when it is turned upside down, making storage easy. Of course, it is only Velcro keeping it closed, so if you do not want sand all over the place, make sure young children do not have access to it when it is not in use. Unfortunately, there is no storage provided for the molds or playmat, but a plastic resealable bag works just fine.
The play area of the sandbox itself is big enough for two children at a time, but any more, and they will be fighting for elbow room. White Moon Sand comes with this Sand Castle set, but additional colors such as red, blue, green, yellow and purple are available in their own containers, while the white sand in this set comes in a plastic bag. The sandbox is one large area, but it would have been nice if there was at least one divider so that more than one color could be used at time with it.
Moon Sand is recommended for ages three and up, and while my nine year old son has little interest in it, my more creative eight year old daughter loves it. Any child who enjoys sandboxes, or molding clay-type materials, is sure to enjoy this product as well. Clean up is easy since it can be vacuumed up off of a carpeted floor, and will not stick and dry to the carpeting like clay or other molding compounds. All arts and crafts type activities bring with them some mess, but at least this one is easy to clean up.
My eight year old daughter has enjoyed playing with this Moon Sand - Sand Castle Set alone, as well as along with the Barn Yard Fun Moon Sand set we also have. However, the creative child that she is, she has also used the white sand in the sandbox as a beach for her Barbie dolls.
If you have a child and have not yet tried Moon Sand, I would recommend you doing so. Its an indoor sandbox for a rainy day, or for a snow day, for those of use living in cold winter climates. Best of all, we spent about $20 on this set which works just as described and gives my children a creative outlet.
Recommended:
Yes
Amount Paid (US$): 19.99
Type of Toy: Arts and Crafts
Age Range of Child: Kids to Teens
|
|
|
|
|
- Add to My Yahoo!: 
- Add to Google Homepage: 
© 1999-2010 Shopping.com, Inc.