I freaking hate sand.

JillRock96 · May 2012

The girls have been asking for a sandbox forever, so we decided to finally give in and use some birthday gift cards that they recieved. OMG -- I HATE IT! I don't mind them getting dirty when we're outside -- they can get muddy, splash in puddles, or coat themselves in sand for all I care. But I HATE getting it all tracked into the house! I am really wishing we had a mud room right now to help contain the mess. I have sworn to myself that I would not let my own anxiety about mess limit what my kids get to do (my mom was like this, and I never go to paint, use playdoh, etc. as a kid), but it is hard!

If you have a sandbox, any tips/tricks to keeping the sand OUTSIDE?

Mrs.Babbsy · May 2012

You have just convinced me to wait another year to put sand in ours:) ha

krissyh21 · May 2012

I lived near a beach growing up. We used to walk to the beach and before going in the house, my mother squirted us off with a hose and we had shoes we wore only to the beach - we took those off before going in the house and she sprayed those down too and they stayed on our porch.

Of course doing that when the weather is not ideal probably is not an option - maybe brushing them off with a towel and taking their shoes off would help a bit?

Ali212 · May 2012

Ugh - the parks around us are all sand (rather than foam) so I feel your pain. I can't say we have any great tricks b/c I feel like I dump 1/2 the playground worth of sand out of my daughters' shoes when we come home. GL! When it's warmer, you could always hose/rinse them off outside maybe?

Mouseygail · May 2012

You can get it off their skin before they come in by dusting them down with baby powder, makes the sand rub right off.

LIAngel · May 2012

Wow you are better than me. No way would I get my kids a sandbox. I'm too much of a neat freak. I'm the mom who will only let Nicholas play with Play-Doh one color at a time so he doesn't mix them up (I know I need to relax a bit on this one).

Right now, my DH is working on fixing up the yard and there is mud and red clay chit everywhere. Nicholas was full of it the other day and there was no way he was coming into the house like that. We don't have a mudroom, so I made DH walk around to the garage and made him strip off Nicholas' clothes and handed him a towel.

Cajun_gal · May 2012

I've heard that baby powder helps clean sand off. I'd probably get them undressed outside, try cleaning them off with baby powder and making them leave their shoes outside and then let them come in and change into something else. Seems like a huge pain, but better than having sand everywhere! This is why we only have a water table. Maybe we'll get a sandbox when they're older.

I'm trying very hard to do the same and not stop my kids from doing something because it's messy. It's hard on me sometimes though!

pinkcallalily · May 2012

I usually don't have much trouble with sand unless he plays in his water table or with the hose first. If he's dry when he starts playing, I can usually just shake it off his clothes pretty easily and take his shoes off before he comes in the house. If he's more messy, I strip him down right outside the door and then let him inside.

If he is wet when he starts playing in the sand, I will either hose him down if it's warm enough or I take his clothes off outside and carry him straight to the bathtub or sink. He always has to wear a hat if he's playing outside, so that keeps it out of his hair. A couple times he has taken his hat off and poured sand on his head and then it's a little harder to clean him up.

Most of the time he stays outside doing other things after he's done in the sandbox so that gives the sand time to fall off.

irishdo · May 2012

Baby powder works like a charm. I grew up at the beach and I still always have some in my beach bag.

I don't want it in my house either though, so we don't have a sandbox!

JillRock96 · May 2012

Thanks! I will be buying a giant bottle of baby powder today.

mmttc · May 2012

I've been thinking of getting a sand box..hmm maybe not.

Has anyone used this powder pouch sand remover? Was thinking of trying this too.

https://www.onestepahead.com/catalog/product.jsp?productId=537478&cmSource=Search

RoxBride · May 2012

The baby powder trick does work.

I just hose her off before she comes in, or I take her straight to the shower if it is cold out.

Mrs.RockyM · May 2012

I could not agree more!!!!! we don't even have a sandbox, it's all the sand DD brings home from daycare. ITS EVERYWHERE!!!!! it's all over my car, all over the house, I feel like no matter how often I try and dump out her shoes there's always sand. It's like a never ending pile in there!!!!

we've found that having DD take off her shoes before she even gets in the car so we can dump the sand out, and then when she gets home she immediatly puts her shoes in the cubby and takes off her socks. That at least minimizes the sand to one general area.

since you're at home and have slightly more control, i'd keep a change of clothes/socks/shoes right by the door and hhave your LO change as soon as they get inside. this way at least the mess is only in one area!

pinkcallalily · May 2012

I forgot to add to my earlier post that if it's nice enough out we make our son take his shoes off before getting in the sandbox. This keeps it out of his shoes. Sometimes he just gets in with them on or I forget, but we usually take them off. We can't do this in the winter so we had to deal with dumping sand out for a few months, but now we are back to barefoot in the sandbox.

naflmj · May 2012

Baby powder takes it right off...just sprinkle over the sandy areas and brush off. I've never done it in the backyard but always bring it to the beach. DS doesn't really get in the sandbox just stands on the outside and digs (weirdo) so I haven't had any issues.

MAK06 · May 2012

Mouseygail:
You can get it off their skin before they come in by dusting them down with baby powder, makes the sand rub right off.

I saw this on pinterest and it's what I was going to suggest as well!

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I freaking hate sand.

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