Have you ever taken your toddler to the beach or out in the grass and they were terrified? Often children are sensitive to these textures when they are new to them. We [Parents] spend a great amount of time protecting our babies from crawling in the grass and dirt (because, we assume, they are just going to eat it anyway) that we forget that they NEED to be exposed to these textures for their emotional development. When they become toddlers and we believe they are better prepared to be exposed to these textures, it is often much later than they should have been.
The Benefit of a Sand & Water Table:
A sand and water table benefits your toddler because it allows them to experience the texture in sand and the feeling of water. When you combine the two it becomes mud and the littlest ones really like mud! One of the greatest techniques Occupational Therapist use is with sensory bin play – that is exactly what the Treasure Hunt Sand & Water Table is. This table offers sensory play opportunities to your child that will teach them fine motor skills, concentration, and help stimulate all of their senses.
About the Treasure Hunt Sand & Water Table from Little Tikes:
Features:
• No tools required for easy assembly!
• Sand table has a train or car mold track
• Kids can find “buried” treasure and transport it via train or boat
• Sand sifting fun
• Water fun
• Cover double as a water basin
• Cover can be used separately or with the sand table for added play
• Everything packs inside under the lid for easy clean up.
• Dry lid completely before covering sand, to keep dry
• Accessories include:
* 1-Boat
* 1-Train cart
* 1-Sand shifter
* 1-Rake
* 1-Shovel “shifter”
* 1-Cup
* 3-Coins
* 3-Treasure “diamonds”
• Holds up to 50lbs. of sand (not included)
• Assembly Required
About Assembly:
Although the instructions states “Assembly Required”, all that means is you will need to snap on the legs and a few toys that have the ability to lay flat when not in use. Total Assembly time for Little Tikes Treasure Hunt Sand & Water Table is less than a minute!
What We Like Best:
Everyone really liked the thoughtful design of the table. The outer rim of the table is a track that allows the train car to drive on. The track is also the appropriate size for other common train and car toys that your child may already have in their toy box at home. The features state “Sand table has a train or car mold track” — this tells me they took other toys into consideration and I like that they took the time to do that.
My Kindergartner (age 5) liked the water portion best. He enjoyed floating the boat and making his own ocean by moving sand from the top down to the water. We added our own seashells for his enjoyment.
Baby Girl (age 3) enjoyed digging in the sand best. The shovel sifter was her favorite tool. She liked finding the treasure “diamonds” and coins.
Recommendations:
Yes, I would recommend this toy set. I like the variety of toys offered with this table that make play even more fun for the kids. My littles will spend hours playing with the Little Tikes Treasure Hunt Sand & Water Table, come back inside for a bath, and want to go right back outside with it again.
Tip: During the winter months you can replace the water portion of this table with another sensory texture, such as, colored beans or rice.
Please visit Little Tikes for more information on this great educational toy.