Guest Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 We are looking to extend our outdoor provison, one of my staff has great ideas for an area we call the horseshoe, she wishes to fill it with sand and keep it covered with tarapaulin at night to keep the animals out. Do we have to use play sand or can we get away with other types of sand.? My instinct is play sand only but would love to know if anybody else use builders sand or similar. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alechunter Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 We always use play sand as builders sand is often very orange and it can stain clothes etc. Also a word of warning, our committee (yes, them again) decided to build a big wooden walk in sand pit which originally during the summer months was brilliant, but once the rain came we covered it with a big tarpaulin and a wooden cover but the rain still got in and now we have got to replace about 12 bags of play sand as its all smelly and horrible and it is going to cost a lot of money to keep replacing all this sand. So just think carefully about how you are going to keep it dry etc. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 It is my understanding that play sand is milled so that the grains lose their sharp edges in case it gets into eyes - it'll still hurt, but won't do as much potential damage. Builder's sand is 'sharp' sand, and has not been cleaned or milled. It sometimes stains clothing, so I wouldn't recommend it. In our outdoor area we 'split the difference' and went for the type of sand which is used for brushing between cracks in tegula blocks in driveways. We had some left from our own driveway and I noticed it was soft milled sand - and quite a bit cheaper than what I was paying for play sand. It's been very successful and we've only just discarded it this spring - digging it into the flowerbeds to help drainage. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 It is my understanding that play sand is milled so that the grains lose their sharp edges in case it gets into eyes - it'll still hurt, but won't do as much potential damage. Builder's sand is 'sharp' sand, and has not been cleaned or milled. It sometimes stains clothing, so I wouldn't recommend it. In our outdoor area we 'split the difference' and went for the type of sand which is used for brushing between cracks in tegula blocks in driveways. We had some left from our own driveway and I noticed it was soft milled sand - and quite a bit cheaper than what I was paying for play sand. It's been very successful and we've only just discarded it this spring - digging it into the flowerbeds to help drainage. Thank you, i had already ruled out builders sand in my head due to colouring and the glass content, Its a fairly large area and will be quite costly, maybe i will revert back to the normal size sandpit.! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cait Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Thank you, i had already ruled out builders sand in my head due to colouring and the glass content, Its a fairly large area and will be quite costly, maybe i will revert back to the normal size sandpit.! er - glass content? All sand is made from stuff which can be superheated to make glass so even your lovely soft sand can too, as I understand it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
louby loo Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 def not 'sharp sand'- horrid stuff turns your hands orange!.........but is the other type called 'silver sand'? xx Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dottyp Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Yes, child friendly sand is called 'silver sand'. The last batch of sand I purchased was from The Consortium (educational supplies) and I paid £1.99 for 12 kilo bags! I thought that was a good price as I have paid up to £5 plus from other suppliers such as Hope or GLS. Well worth shopping around. Don't know if you have a Dunwoody's locally (builders merchants) but they also do very good rates on silver sand in larger quantities dottyp Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Thank you, i had already ruled out builders sand in my head due to colouring and the glass content, Its a fairly large area and will be quite costly, maybe i will revert back to the normal size sandpit.! In my last school we had a large outdoor sandpit specially built for us with drainage in - so no matter how much water the children added ( we also had an outside tap that the childrne had free access to!) it was always wet but not standing in water each day. the lid was made of tarp with scaffolding rods placed at intervals which could then be rolled back even the children could help - and we always had to replace our sand as the chidlren carried it all over the area for construction etc.. it was just fantastic and i do miss it. We used sand from a builders merchant not play sand and not builders sand but a half way house which we bought bagged by the tonne it usally lasted 1/2 year good luck g Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 We invested in an excellent sand pit last summer. It is 3m x 3m with an elasticated tarp to go over the top. It took just under a tonne of silver sand and that cost just over £100 with delivery. It is an amazing resource. The children love it. It was installed last summer and we haven't had to replace any sand yet. It is used daily and sometime it can get a bit wet, but we just leave the tarp off for an hour or so and turn the sand using a spade. The whole thing cost £1500, but it is well worth it. It came with a 10 year guarantee too!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 shiny, where did you get your pit from? we are thinking of capital grant to replace our old one-it leaks in water!! Also anyone bought a good water trough with for out side recently that they can recommend? Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shiny Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 Sand pit from wicksteed expensive but excellent quality!! And water although it is not a trough we bought a water cascade that the children love!! Again a bit expensive but brilliant fun!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 thanks -will have a look ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 18, 2009 Share Posted March 18, 2009 love the water cascade -def adding that to my list tomorrow -thanks again . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 Thank you everyone, I will be investing in some silver sand, the kids love digging and I`m hoping that this will contain some of the transporting that goes on. Its my afternoon off and i think i shall be investigating the builders merchants to investigate prices. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beau Posted March 19, 2009 Share Posted March 19, 2009 I went to see a wonderful school yesterday where play and the children's interests were central to everything they did (all the way up to Yr6!). In response to something the children were seen to be doing, they pulled up half a dozen paving slabs in their outdoor area and the children were happily digging in the mud. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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