Big Builder

I bought this toy for my son who is on the Autism Spectrum thinking that it would provide sensory stimulation as well as a way to be creative. He loves it and so does my neurotypical 4 year old. They fight over who gets to play with it so I am buying another one, different scenario, for my 4 year old for his upcoming birthday. As others have noted, it's a nice change from Playdoh, clay, coloring, etc, on an inside play day. The boys also use their own small plastic figures and vehicles to add variety. I let them use any toy they want as long as it is sealed from the sand entering into it. You do need to watch the sand, even with the provided plastic mat, but with a few rules in place, like the boys only play with it where we tell them it's ok, like the cleaned off kitchen table, we've had no problems. A quick sweep off of the play surface when they're done and maybe a quick floor sweep/vacuum and you're done. If you are the type that every little bit of sand that might escape is going to bother you, then by all means, do not buy this toy. Also, obviously, I wouldn't recommend this toy for any children that are to young to understand that you can't eat the sand, throw the sand around, etc. I'd personally say this is for age 3-4+. Overall, great toy and I have no hesitation in recommending it.

This toy rocks. It was my son's favorite present. Let the creative juices flow! Good quality pieces. It also comes with a decorative plastic sheet which you place down under the sandbox to collect any stray fine grains of sand. When not in use, I placed the box and all the pieces into an extra large ziplock bag, and then put it back into the box in which it came. Easy storage, and easy access when the mood strikes to play with it. I also got the kitty sandbox for my daughter. There are many to choose from. Right now, it's winter, and when they pull out this toy, it's like going to the beach! Great for moms who don't mind a little mess.

I got this form my 3 1/2 year old, who is completely addicted to anything construction-related. Not only did he love it, but so did his 5 1/2 year old brother, and this little sandbox turned out to be the big winner on Xtmas morning. The boys sat and played at it for over an hour, even though the living room floor was covered with strong competitions, such as light sabers, etc. Later on, they still asked me to get the sandbox out so they could keep on playing. I can't wait to get the other sets as they were already using their own Schleich dinosaurs to play on the sand! It can be a bit messy for indoor play. I don't mind the clean up, but it is wise to cover a wide surface are with newspaper, or even an old bath towel that makes the clean-up process easy.

I bought this toy for my 2 year old. Yes, he loves it but I think it would be better for a 3 or 4 or even 5 year old. It gets quite messy but it's easy to clean up. There is a large piece of plastic that comes in the box that is handy to put beneath the sand box and it makes cleanup a lot easier. There are also many little pieces that are not good for small children. I have a 10 month old who puts everything in his mouth and I have to watch that he doesn't grab these little pieces. But overall, the whole point of the toy is that my child loves it and spends long amounts of time playing with it. He's very enthusiastic about construction equipment and he loves to play in the dirt so with this toy he has the best of both worlds!

What a terrific idea. My 2 and 1/2 yr old grand daughter absolutely loves this experience. She calls it "making sand castles" and we are able to play and build in the sand box no matter the weather. The little tools are expecially attractive and just fit a small child's hand. She has dug, dumped, repositioned to her heart's concent. I am very happy with this product and would purchase it again. In fact it has helped my decide to find a big sandbox for the yard. Still looking for that one.

My grandson loves to play in the sand and loves heavy duty trucks. This is perfect for him to play inside on rainy days.

My son saw this toy at a local independent toy store. They were out of this particular model, which was the one he fell in love with...of course. I ordered online, received it quickly, and it was exactly what I expected. The sand does have a tendancy to escape the box during exciting play, but is easy enough to clean up. My son loves playing with the construction equipment, bricks, rocks, and other elements that come with the box. I love hearing his imagination at work as he tells stories while playing with this toy. Lots of fun!

We bought this for our son's 3rd birthday after seeing one at a friend's house and watching him play with it. He has a disability with sensory processing problems and motor delays so this looked to be a great purchase for him. The first day my husband sat down with him and the two played for over an hour. Our son said "I want to play with this every day and every night." Our 5 year old daughter watched with envy. We told her she could ask for one for her birthday (not till September) or Christmas which she whined was too long to wait. When we suggested she could use her own piggybank to buy it, she screamed "oh yes!" The princess one arrived a few days later and the two sit happily together playing side by side. They even switch pieces from hers to his and vice versa and create elaborate stories (both are very imaginative). My kids are also very neat and any errant grains remain on the included mat which we shake back into the box at clean up. If your child is the kind to throw handfuls of fine grain sand, this might not work for you. But, in our house, this toy is a hit!