Step2 Naturally Playful Sand & Water Center

Below I'm going to cut and paste my first review of this toy, one I posted almost 3 years ago. My five stars still hold true although I have had some leg weakness since then (but we've owned the toy 6 years now and I've got three bigger kids--7, 5, 3--leaning on it in every direction as well as an 80 lb. labrador retriever who has taken to standing in it to look over the fence, ahem...anyway). I am about to rescrew new holes in each leg and the table and fill the legs with stand to make it stable again but it is completely worth it given the joy it has brought my children. The water cover is still 100% effective and the toy still looks practically brand new. I have bought one more new umbrella since my last review. So, that's two new umbrellas and some leg maintenance in 6 years. Not bad. I'm determined to keep it because it is a great place for us to do lots of messy science experiments and activities, as listed below, that are best kept outdoors.

Old Review from May 2007:

First of all, we have had this toy for 3 years and it still looks like the first day it came out of the box (in the BLAZING Texas sun). Also, it has been moved around too many times to count and is still as strong as ever. It's durable. Plus, it really does keep water out and the cover stays put tightly even through the most violent and windy thunderstorms. The umbrella is awesome, although I did have to replace it once due to weathering. I soooooooo don't care. Read on...

I'm on my third child now and if there is one thing I'm sick of, it's the toy that's a one-trick pony. I'm really looking for more versatility in a toy. That said, let me tell you why we will keep this toy until the kids outgrow it even though we also have an 8x10 ft. sandbox in the back yard. Sure, it's a sand and water table but we've done it all:

(1) sand alone

(2) water alone

(3) potting soil/trowels/silk plants/plastic pots

(4) landscaping stones and small Tonka construction vehicles (aka "the quarry")--sometimes the small trucks even deliver to the Tonka Mighty and it goes on for hours

(5) bubble solution to use with the large wands and even the small and different wands (so that the kids aren't fighting over the tiny opening of a tiny bottle of bubbles that inevitably gets spilled all over the patio)

(6) a Mommy-made iceburg (colored blue) on the hottest summer day with dollar store penguins and polar bears--you can even shave the iceburg to make snow (I used a putty knife) and put crushed ice (if your refrigerator makes it) in the water to make it a happier habitat

(7) dishwater and play dishes with sponges and scrubbers to play clean-up without making a mess at the sink like they do inside

(8) aquarium gravel/toys/plants with pretend fish

(9) sand over buried "fossils" (pretend dinosaur bones found at the local dollar store) -Put a small layer of sand on the bottom of the table, place bones all over that, add more sand to fill, then saturate all the sand with water and let it dry completely (left in sun, might take a day or two depending on temps). That way, they'll actually be able to kind of chisel the bones out instead of just easily moving the sand.

(10) sand sifters and dirt with various sizes of rocks that I spray painted gold -super fun day!

(11) measuring spoons/cups/jugs that teach lessons about volume -pair with bath color tablets to learn about color mixing!

(12) Did you know that Little People LOVE to go to the beach? (Off subject, they're also not opposed to a tumble in the dishwasher!)

(13) any number of arts and crafts activities that I would rather do outside than inside (making slime, papier mache, etc.)

(14) tin pans/muffin cups paired with dirt/sticks/water mud for mud pies

(15) sand castles, of course!

(16) dinosaurs and various animals add a tremendous amount of play value to your basic sand environment.

Well, that's all that I can remember doing in three years time as I sit here writing this review, although I'm sure there's more. As if all that isn't enough, this table is a great size. No elbowing for more space here. There's room for 6 kids. Yep, one on each end and two on each side. True story.

Do you miss sipping iced tea and reading a magazine or chatting with friends? It can happen again while your toddler plays happily and safely. I LOVE this toy. Can you tell?

One question you need to ask is do you want one side sand and one side water, or do you want two sides with mud?You should decide otherwiseyour kids will decide for you.

Seriously though, we have a 1, 3, and 5 year old and all three enjoy this.I'd say that ~8 years might be the upper limit at which point kids might start to get bored...

UPDATE:I'd still stick with ~8 years as the upper limit, ours are now 3, 5, and 8 and it's clearly the younger two that enjoy this the most.We're not on about our 5th year with this....

I'd recommend not filling the sand side up all the way as the kids enjoy it just as much with only an inch or less of sand.Also you end up buying sand less often this wayit seems universal that they DO NOT want to keep the sand on the table.

Note that there is a water drain ONLY on the "wet" side so you may have to bail the "sand" side out when they start moving the water around.

It came with a few boats, bridges, etc.Naturally, Hot Wheels and other toys will end up here.Consider adding a few empty yogurt cups, plastic utensils, etc to the mix.It's amazing how much fun and unstructured play they can have with these.

The umbrella is a nice touch as our deck is very sunny.If you don't need it for this toy you can still use it elsewhere as it's basically a beach umbrella with a shorter stick.The original umbrella is in a matching color, though if you need a replacement it seems Dollar stores sell one that is identical except for color. UPDATE: We bought another umbrella at Harbor Freight same style except it tilts for better sun protection.

My one complaint is that the top tends to collect water.It's designed to drain, but the top will sag, particularly because kids like to sit and stand on top.I put an empty yogurt container over the umbrella hole before I put the lid on and it helps prop up the top enough for (most of) the water to run out.

UPDATE: After ~5 years outside it had collected some algae and mildew on the lid and sides, but a quick blast of the pressure washer this spring cleaned it up and now it looks as good as new!

Otherwise very sturdy just like all Step 2 products.

If you've found this review to be helpful or have questions/comments, please let me know!

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I purchased this even after the reviews about leaks in the legs. The design really is a bit silly as there is no reason to have holes for the legs as you screw them in via the side. We put it together and it leaked, I took it apart purchased some sealant at my local hardware store and reassembled. No more leaks and my little girl (16 months) loves this table. We only put water in both sides as that's entertainment enough for her. We live in Texas and I'm afraid of snakes and bugs getting in, so once she's ready for sand the fact that it's not on the ground and has a cover will help. I can see how it would be a little heavy with sand if you need to constantly move it but overall it's a great product. If we didn't have to use sealant to get it to stop leaking I would have given it 4 stars.

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We bought this last summer for my at the time almost two year old daughter.It was very easily assembled & we dumped a bag of sand in it for immediate play.The difficult part is the water because its so fun the kids love to mix the water with the sand (fine) and the sand with the water (messy).We have had to spray the water side out a couple times which is easy enough to do and let the water/sand mixture fall under the table through the drain.We've had this now for a year.It is very durable.We have no problem with the drain.The cover still works great (although is a little discolored from the sun/weather).Its still a hit.We would buy this again in a heartbeat!It is a gift that has been enjoyed by everyone!!!(oh...and this only requires 1 bag of sand to fill the sandbox the guy at the store told us it took 2 so we ended up with an extra one bag will be just fine!!!)

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After much internet research, I went with this sand and water play table over several others, and I have been very happy with my choice. However, I do not have anything to compare to as this is our first (and hopefully last) sand/ water purchase. My daughter is 21 months.

Pros -

1) it is off the ground, which keeps it (and the child) a bit cleaner. Also safer with little ones, as they can't fall into it and drown. The pattern of roads through the water side also ensure they can't get their heads underwater.

2) The lid fits on well, and is secure even in storms.

3) the water side has a plug and is easy to drain. We've had no leaks, and we didn't even screw the legs on, just popped them in.

4) the umbrella is great, the height can be adjusted and it keeps her mostly in the shade all day.

5) the little enclosed toys are a perfect size for the sand and the water.

6) a perfect size for smaller children such as mine, though I suspect older children would find it a bit too small. Several children can be around it, we have had 4 year old visitors who loved it, and we have managed up to 4 children easily.

Cons

1) the sand and water WILL mix, and you will spend a lot of time emptying the water side and refilling it with clean water.

2) need to store the umbrella not a big deal but my daughter likes to wave the detachable pole around like a sword if I leave it under the table.

3) there is a tendency to tip the sand onto the floor, I guess if you are 2 and you have a shovelful of sand, you want to experiment with gravity, but it is messy!

4) pretty low table for an adult

Things that might help

1) matchbox cars fit the roads perfectly. Little kids soft tonka toys (those cute soft plastic ones with the faces) do not. This was a bit upsetting to my daughter as she wanted to make the cars go on the roads, and it took us a day or two to sort it out.

2) the sand side takes about half a 50lb bag of playsand. You could fill it higher, but then you will lose more over the edge. We just top it up as needed. You can buy a bag at Home Dept for 6 dollars.

3) normal beach toys are a little too big for the table, eg buckets. We use the digging toys (shovel, rake, castle mold) from the "Green Toys Sand Set" Green Toys Sand Play Set but the bucket is too big really. Other beach toys from Toys R Us, etc are way to big.

4) get a small stool for the adult play partner it makes the whole experience much more fun for you!

5) we use a spare silicon food loop Fusionbrands The Food Loop 15" Silicone Trussing Tool, Set of 4, Pink to hold the umbrella and pole together when folded. This has made it harder for my daughter to wave it around and keeps the umbrella neatly.

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