Dylan loves to go to the playground. It does not matter which playground, or where it is, the moment he hears the word “playground” he drops whatever he is doing and runs for the door. We have a few playgrounds around here, and I like to mix it up by taking him to different ones. One thing that I am trying to figure out, though, is how to keep him out of the sandboxes at the playground.
I’m not completely against sandboxes, however recent events have left me a bit concerned. A few days ago, I brought Dylan to a local school playground after the kids had gone home for the day. He went in the sandboxes. For a few nights now, he has been awakened by itchy bumps on his hands. Now he has a rash around his mouth. I’m not sure whether any of these things are related, but I am getting a sense that public sandboxes are not the cleanest of places. I have never been a germophobe, but I certainly want to keep my little guys safe and healthy.
This evening, I did a little research on the topic of sandbox safety. Unsurprisingly, sandboxes are safer and cleaner when they are covered. The sandboxes at the school are not covered. Animals do what they do wherever they please, including in sandboxes. While I don’t see any cats and dogs wandering around the school yard, squirrels and birds can dirty up sandboxes too. Also, the sheer number of kids that use those sandboxes leaves me feeling concerned about the possibility of bacteria and viruses lurking in there. I know that exposure to things is good for building immunity, but I think that my personal comfort level with the whole “dirt is good for kids” thing stops at natural dirt, like dirt in the yard.
We have our own sandbox, and it is full of clean, new sand. We cover it every night, so no animals can get in there. Dylan spends plenty of time in there. We do not have a play structure or swing set in our yard yet, and that is why I bring him to the playground. However, he always plays on the play structures for a bit and then heads for the sandbox. It is going to be difficult, but I really do think that keeping Dylan out of the public sandboxes is a good idea. Does anyone else have concerns about the safety of public sandboxes?