Step2 Naturally Playful Sand and Water Activity Center
by Step2
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Our Price: $199.99 Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $149.25 (click here) Category: Toy See more product details |
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Toys and Games Reviews of Step2 Naturally Playful Sand and Water Activity Center
Customer Review: Not what I imagined
Summary: 4 Stars
Well, before purchasing this item, I debated on whether to buy just a sand box. After reading the other reviews, I decided to buy this instead. First, the durability...do not buy this item if you plan on moving it often and by yourself. The way the legs are connected is 2, 3 inch screws screwed through each plastic leg. Not very secure since the plastic is thin. I, my husband, and our gardener (believe me, we're all quite strong)have all caused the legs to partially collapse because we didn't know that we shouldn't move it by ourselves. (It's too heavy and big with the sand in it to pick up so you have to scoot it. SAND IS MUCH HEAVIER THAN JUST WATER! I can't imagine trying to move it by myself with both water and sand in it! Yikes!) Since it's connected with screws through the plastic, the plastic tears. You should also keep in mind that it only holds 40 pounds of sand and bags are sold in 50 pound increments. We didn't read the fine print and now the table sags a bit in the middle. : (
Having a short bucket to drain into might be helpful since I made the mistake of draining into the grass a few times. Not a big deal until the next day when the kids wanted to play again and the ground was muddy.
Before I could like this table, I had to let go of my image of my 1 and 2 year old playing on the the sand side and then going over to the pristine clear water side. Kids will be kids and my two year old has the water murky and swamp-like within minutes. When the water is mixed on the sand side, it takes weeks for the sand to dry out. (This could be another reason my table sags.)Hope for warm weather.
My kids really do like this table but in hindsight I'd rather have bought a sandbox and brought out the wading pool from time to time.
Customer Review: Best Gift My Sons Ever Received!
Summary: 5 Stars
I highly recommend this sand table!!! This has provided my son, his friends, neighbors, etc. HOURS and HOURS of entertainment and educational fun! I am a firm believer in tactile and sensory play for children and this has been just perfect!
I wanted to get this for my son, but have to admit I was a little concerned about it being too messy. He was only 2 and a half when we got this and a VERY active child. I didn't know how he would do with it. We just set up a rule that whatever was in the table needed to stay inside the table or we would shut it. He loved it so much that he learned to follow the rule exceptionally well. I was also concerned he would outgrow it too fast because it is not very tall. He is now five and still uses it.
I loved it so much I even got brave and brought it inside during colder months so I could entertain him while I cook and clean.
If your child loves cars as much as mine does you don't even have to fill it with anything, fun tracks, bridges inside the box and road lines on top that my son and his friends have fun with as well.
SOME TIPS IF YOU PURCHASE:
There is a hole on top where the umbrella slides through. If you do not want whatever you put in the box (sand, water etc.) on the ground I suggest filling it in with a small towel or sponge or something else to prevent this.
You can google sensory ideas on line and find all sorts of other fun things to fill your table with for variety (dry beans, aquarium rocks, moon sand, fake snow, pasta, dry cereal, corn meal or puffed rice for toddlers, etc.) It's also fun to add small construction toys, cars, animals, holiday trinkets, or sea plants and animals.
Customer Review: Awesome sandbox
Summary: 5 Stars
We LOVE this sandbox/water activity table on so many levels!
1. Love that it is off the ground. No sand in the pants, stuck all over the legs...you get the point.
2. Love the split table--water on one side, sand on the other. Gives it so much more play potential. If you don't care if sand gets in your water/water in your sand it is great. Besides, isn't sand more fun when it is a bit damp?? How can you mold it otherwise? The water also gives little ones (and Mom!) a place to rinse the sand off your hands.
3. Love the drain in the bottom of the water side. When we are done playing, just scoop out the excess sand and drain the water away until you fill it again!
4. Love the scoops and boats and ramps it comes with. A bonus that a big toy has some "stuff" in there to play with.
5. Love, love love the umbrella. Yes, it might be nice if you could tilt it but then you know a little one would run into it or get mad at it and possible break it. Besides, you can adjust it down low so they have to stoop a bit to get under it and it cuts out a ton of sun. Love that there is an outdoor toy that is sun conscious.
6. Love the bungee corded lid. Keeps all neighborhood creatures out of my sand!
I got this 3 months ago and my 2 and 1/2 year old loves it and plays with it every day we go outside. It has lots of room for several children to play at once and to do more then one activity at the same time. It really is not that tricky to put together. You do have to drill through the plastic for the screws but I have found many toys/products to be the same way.
Customer Review: Fun, but lacks longer-term durability
Summary: 4 Stars
My children have had fun with this activity table. It's definitely for younger shorter kids, 2-5 years old -- older kids/adults will have to bend over kneel down or sit a chair.
The sand and water tend to easily intermix between the two compartments so that both sides resemble a seaside tide pool. This fact did not seem to bother the kids. If you're hoping this toy to maintain two pristine play environments (dry sand/clean water)look somewhere else.
The cover works great with the bungee-like tie downs and the umbrella is a great feature. If the wind gets to your umbrella, you can easily replace it with a cheapo beach umbrella. Ours has lasted two years and is still going.
Once the sand and water are in the table, it does become somewhat heavy. Trying to move it becomes a problem as the legs are only hollow plastic and their attachment to the base is somewhat lacking in strength. Over a couple of seasons and having moved/dragged the table around a few times, the legs have started to buckle and bend so that the table does not stand level any more. We have placed this in our swing-set area which is not a hard packed surface due to its being covered in wood chips -- this may have contributed to the legs buckling. Still, the table could benefit from a little strengthening in the legs and their attachment to the table base.
For longer life, leave this table in one, level place with relatively solid ground and do not drag it around. Have someone help you lift it to a new location, if needed.
Customer Review: This is the BEST sand and water table!
Summary: 5 Stars
This is definitely the best sand and water table. I read the reviews for all of the tables and then decided on this one. I'm so glad that I did. I bought one today and before we even filled it with sand or water my 3 yr. old son was already playing with it. He had fun driving his cars around in it and playing with the boats that came with it. It literally took about five minutes to put together with a cordless screwdriver. Not complicated at all. It was very, very easy to do. You could put it together without even reading the instructions. Once put together it is very sturdy. The umbrella is very stable. I'm not sure what one reviewer meant about the notch on the umbrella. There was no notch on our umbrella. It basically slides into the hole in the middle. The hole is tight around the stem of the umbrella and holds it securely. The umbrella also seems very durable. Very easy to put the umbrella together and attach to the table. I had read reviews about other tables getting water logged due to small holes in the plastic. I don't see how this could possibly happen to this one. Aside from the legs, it is basically one solid table. The only hole I see is the one that should be there that drains the water from the water side of the table. The table is much lighter than I expected. I had no trouble carrying it from the store into the car. Very easy to transport. The lid secures on very tightly. I'm very excited about filling the table up with sand and water in the morning. My son can't wait either! I would highly recommend.