Ick, I can’t even think about it without getting a shiver of disgust! And with good reason: Sandboxes are one of the germiest places you can possibly imagine, more pathogen-riddled than even the average toilet seat in an elementary school bathroom. Of course it’s incredibly hard to ban your toddler from playing in sandboxes altogether. Ever try explaining to a two-year-old that she can’t play in the sand with her friends because she might get a yucky rash? (Insert screaming tantrum here.) So even if you can’t keep your kid out of the sandbox this summer, there are a few things you can do to keep her safe:
Change her clothes and wash her off as soon as possible once she’s out of the sandbox; even a rinse in the sprinkler at the park or a rubdown with baby wipes is better than nothing. If you can, stick to sandboxes that you know are covered at night so stray animals (carriers of scabies) can’t get inside. Before she gets in the box, do a quick once-over to make sure nothing hazardous is lurking just below the surface of the sand (syringes! condoms! poop!).
Has your toddler ever gotten sick from playing in a sandbox? Image via edenpictures/Flickr
