We have a small house and a postage stamped size backyard, so we seek out compact toys for our home that are sturdy and functional. Recently, the Sand and Water Bench from Simplay3 has become a perfect fit for all of our needs. Due to its inventive design, it makes a wonderful addition in most homes especially if your family spends a good deal of time outdoors.
Simplay3 is an innovative toy company that produces toys that have clean lines using contemporary color schemes. What stands out for me, however, is how one toy can serve multiple purposes. The Sand and Water Bench follows this same creativity as it can be used as a bench for kids to sit AND it can be opened for play.
While this may appear quite simple, a bench that opens, it actually offers many different types of play. The Sand and Water Bench is 20 in. tall, 34 in. wide and 26 in. deep; however, my tall 6-year-old son enjoys sitting on the bench. I find it to be lightweight even though it is listed as 21 pounds. Made out of durable plastic material, it is easy to clean and has the ability to lock when open. We have found it is the different ways to play that has made this a recommended toy for the household.
Mommy University Presents
Fun Ways to Take It Outside with the Sand & Water Bench
Take a Toy Bath
When open, the top can be a compact water table. Add some accessories for them to scoop water, or even the basic beach toys for more water fun. We found the kids enjoyed making this a bath tub for their toys. Add some water and soap with sponges and let them practice washing dishes or scrubbing their toys.
Engage in a Sensory Bin
We are big fans of sensory bins in my household, and my immediate thought was how this would be wonderful for sensory play. You can place the sensory bin filler in one container while little figures or molds can go in the other bin. We have tried Kinetic Sand with Toobs, however, you can use other variations including real sand. We also looked for “bugs” in play dirt which was easy to clean up when the children were done playing.
Put Toys Away
When closed, the storage bench is a perfect space to store toys. Depending on how many toys your children have, you can store a variety of toys together or assign one group to be put in the bench such as dinosaurs or sand toys. Have your kids clean up while singing the “Clean Up Song” so that they have a responsibility. Even at a young age this is a valuable skill.
Dig For Treasure
Since this a sand bench, you can use the bottom part to store sand, but make it even more interesting by hiding treasure. You can hide plastic coins, gems or bead necklaces in the sand, then give your kids treasure boxes to fill with the goodies they find. Want to make it even more interesting? Hide plastic Dinosaur figurines or bones so they can imagine themselves as paleontologists. Let them know how many items are hidden and hand them a brush, let them get digging!
Outdoor Story Time
When closed, the Sand and Water Table is wonderful for kids to sit down and enjoy a snack. You can also have an outdoor story time. The best method to encourage children to read is to read everywhere and why not outdoors? If it’s a beautiful day, have them select some of their favorite books to read or you can mysteriously place several books on the bench days you know they will be outside. Having books readily available promotes a love of reading.
These are just a few of the ways that my children played with the Simplay3 Sand and Water Bench; however, there are so many opportunities available for this fun toy. The Bench arrives in three pieces: top, bottom and objects to connect them. It took us less than 30 minutes to put together and place outside our home. Priced at $99.99, the Sand and Water Bench enable a diverse range of forms to play while remaining compact and perfect to fit within the porch, backyard or small patio.
You may also enjoy:
