Guest Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Hi, can anyone offer any advice. We have been asked to put up a rota - type format forsand changing and how frequently we will change it. This is mainly outdoor sand which is covered. Is thereany official length of time and frequency for changing sand. Mine does get transported but as it is quite a big area some of the stuff is there for quite a few weeks. Thanks a lot! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Sorry sunshine, I don't have an answer but we also have a large outdoor sandpit which is covered and wondered if there are any guidelines on changing it. Also, don't know if there is a rule about this but are we allowed to put sand off the floor outside back in the sandpit? Just wondering what other settings do. Sally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 There are no official guidelines on this sort of thing as it is really dependent upon your setting and situation. If you have few children and the sand is only used for a short time each day then you would not need to change it as often as a setting that has a large number of children with the sand being used for many hours each day. It is really down to common sense and providing you have some sort of procedure in place to show that it is thought of and the sand is changed at some point then that should be okay. I know some settings have very stringent rules about how often sand is cleaned, changed etc but personally I think this is going over the top (sorry to everyone that does this!!). Children need to be exposed to some dirt and this obsession with cleaning to absolute sterility is actually detrimental. I am going to move your thread out of Child development too. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marion Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Our outdoor sandpit takes 30 sacks of sand to half fill so you may guess it isn't changed very often Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Children need to be exposed to some dirt and this obsession with cleaning to absolute sterility is actually detrimental. Couldn't agree more Beau. It's such a shame when we see children who won't play in/with anything messy because they think it's dirty. Just a thought - they don't change the sand at the seaside very often do they? Sally Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Just a thought - they don't change the sand at the seaside very often do they? I guess it gets washed most days.................... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 We change our indoor sand once or twice a year. I have sprayed it with disinfectant (Oust 3 in 1 is good) Outdoor sand just gets topped up.... the rain washes it. Its covered but still gets very wet. Lorna Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Children love digging in the soil too. how often should you change that!!! We teach them that there are germs on everything all the time, even on our own skin and its normal. So that is why we wash our hands before snacks. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Don't change sand either, just gets topped up which is usually every term As long as its covered to prevent unwanted visitors then I would say that's fine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Inge Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 we have a dirt bed.. no sand in sight outdoors..... mud is wonderful.. (parents used to it now!) Inge Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jackie H Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Ours took 7 tons of sand! Dont fancy being the one to empty it. It is covered every evening tho Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted May 27, 2008 Share Posted May 27, 2008 Ours took 7 tons of sand! Dont fancy being the one to empty it. It is covered every evening tho Wouldn't want to be the one to run that through with Milton!!!! We change our indoor sand a couple of times a year, outdoor sand the same, both covered at the end of session. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
apple Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 I quite agree with Beau about washing away resistence! Children do need to be exposed to germs in order to strengthen their immune system and like lynh says germs are on everything but a bit of common sense tells us to be aware and wash hands when necessary. We change our sand 3-4 times a year- I like the idea of the Oust every now and then. I thought our newly built outdoor sand pit was pricey at a cost of £100 for a tonne of sand but it seems tiny in comparison with Jacqui's! that must be one heck of a play area- lucky children Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dublinbay Posted May 28, 2008 Share Posted May 28, 2008 The sand in our indoor sand-pit used to be changed when it began to smell (usually each term). Then some bright spark (not me) suggested we leave the lid off overnight and it has worked wonders. No Smell!!! Now its topped up when needed and changed twice a year. Sand which has fallen to the floor gets put in the bin, same with playdough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rea Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 We change our indoor sand once or twice a year. I have sprayed it with disinfectant (Oust 3 in 1 is good)Outdoor sand just gets topped up.... the rain washes it. Its covered but still gets very wet. Lorna I know you would all read the labels but be very careful with Oust 3 in 1. There is a warning on it to check with your GP BEFORE using it if you have asthma or suffer allegies. I wish I'd read the small print first. My son has exzema and asthma, the asthma wasnt affected but the exezma flared up and stayed up for around 5 weeks. It was worse than I remember seeing it since he was a toddler, the subsequent infection went deeper than ever. I would never use it again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lorna Posted May 31, 2008 Share Posted May 31, 2008 worth thinking about Rea... I also suffer badly with ezcema around my eyes.... I only every use the Oust on a Friday evening and leave the sand uncovered all weekend.... never when the children are around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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