This review is from : Aqua Sand Refill Set
This Sand Will Not Chafe Your Tush . Synopsis of below info for time-constrained folks: Fun for all; cleanup of product is about half an hour inside, and ten minutes when used outside. Sand was easy to net at first, but then "transformed" somehow and resisted capture via the included net, so just use fist. Set includes four 2.1 ounce bottles; we lost .8 of an ounce through several general play sessions. Wash hands after use.
This stuff is just as much fun as it was for me about thirty years ago. Particles do float on the top of the water, but this does not (and did not for me when I did not have crow's feet) detract from the fun. Another helpful reviewer clued me into the fact that the tank that came with the themed sets was very small, so I purchased this above set at Toys R Us (can only get this set there), and decided to use big, clear glass bowls that I already own and for the purpose of maximum viewing excitement. My kids, a newbie three and a jaded seven, had a blast. Colors get promptly mixed into a dazzling rainbow, so if you are a purist, forget this stuff. I provided a plastic fork and a long "Dairy Queen" spoon for whichever child did not grab the rake/spoon/net thingy first, therefore both kids would have implements to shape the sand (yes, you can use your mitts, in fact, this is more fun). Now, please engage the soundtrack for the PreK "Cleanup" song...thank you. Let me first state that if you are a clean freak, this sand was not that hard to remove from my kitchen in general. Removing real beach sand from rugrats and beach supplies is actually more difficult. Anyway, this was my cleanup/play method: I laid out a big, old towel and rags for any spills on my kitchen table. Kids played, then abandoned me after washing hands (the sand leaves a dry, powdery film on your hands). I began to remove the sand from the water by alternating skimming particles from the top with the little net thingy and using what I call the "white shark method"- scooping up the sand from the bottom, and pulling my net straight up to contain the sand that I had just grabbed, while also picking up any loose sand floating on the surface indirectly (killin' two birds with one stone). If there were any water droplets on top of my netted sand, I would encourage them to descend to the bottom of the net by gently tapping the net on the side of the bowl, or I just let gravity do its thing (you can see the droplets exiting the bottom of the net). You can also "pile up" the dregs of the sand and place it right into your net underwater in order to remove even more- just don't get OCD about salvaging every bit of sand, or you will be there all day. The funnel works great. After getting the sand back in the bottles, I poured the water outside, and wiped the bowls with paper towels to remove extra particles. I then shook out the towel outside, wiped sand off my table onto my kitchen floor, cleaned the chairs, swept up, and voila, I was done. It seemed to take only twenty minutes, but I will time my cleanup method the next time we play with this stuff, and give an update. Plus, we lost a lot less sand than I thought we would- only like three teaspoons worth. I noticed that one parent's review stated that her kids needed help; another reviewer was disappointed that her four-year-old was not able to cleanup the mess herself...hey, it's not like I sat there the whole time bonding deeply with my brats, but I was at least hovering by them and helping my three-year-old from time to time, and I do not expect my kids to make my domicile look like a "Pottery Barn" catalog pic. In other words, I was not expecting the sand to babysit my kids. I cannot afford the sand's fee, anyway (hee, hee).
Update/Extra Tidbits several days later: I mentioned in the above review that I would time my cleanup method. The purpose of this is in order to inform people who do not want to spend a lot of time cleaning up whether or not they should purchase this product. Well, my cleanup time was increased. It took me 25 minutes and 39 seconds to cleanup during this latest Aqua Sand episode. I included in my timing traveling to the laundry room to get rid of dirty and clean rags, going back a second time to the laundry room 'cause I forgot my dustpan/brush, cleaning two kitchen chairs, washing the utensils and bowls, wiping down my counter, and putting my kitchen table back in order, as it doubles as Grand Central Station. Only the action of cleaning the chairs was included in my original time estimate of twenty minutes. Only one child played with the Aqua Sand this time- the three-year-old, and she can go either way with messes- total chaos or "Welcome to the Brady residence- we are orderly!". She was the latter during this session. We also lost less sand this time- one and a half teaspoons within the water and on the table; a fourth of a teaspoon on the floor. I noticed that there were more "particle islands" floating on the surface of the water this time. These can be rescued by pushing the little island into the water, where it then becomes a scoopable small blob of sand. I also want to mention here that both of my kids have placed the tip of the sand bottle in the water when ejecting the sand, and there have been no negative effects as of yet. I will update this review if I discover any more viable info.
Recently Discovered Viable Info day later: Aqua Sand is indeed sand and not sandpaper grit (ie.garnet, aluminum oxide) as conjectured by one reviewer. It did not scratch my kitchen table, which can be easily scratched as it is a black, matte 50's-diner-style-deal (disagreeing with same reviewer). One reviewer was very upset that when her daughter received the mermaid-themed Aqua Sand set, the mermaid contained within was totally different. A rep at Aqua Sand told this reviewer that she/he should have opened the box before purchase, and said reviewer was shocked by this suggestion. In defense of Aqua Sand and people like me who remove the elastic band holding new shoes together in Target, you can totally open packaging to check items out within certain limits. I have seen everything from underwear packages to dish sets with fooled-with-to-gain-entry packaging (in Target two weeks ago a young woman opened a moisturizer set to view the goods). This doesn't mean that I'm trying on the deodorant when I check to make sure that the plastic dome is intact; I'm just protecting myself as a consumer. In defense of the mermaid-set reviewer, how would she have known to inspect the set due to the possibility that a totally different meramid could be inside? That is definitely upsetting to some kids, and Aqua Sand should be upfront about what is or possibly contained within their sets (I know it is possible that the box may carry the statement: "contents may vary" in some obscure place in tiny lettering). Some people are freaking out about the safety of Aqua Sand...hey, this stuff has been used in educational applications aimed at kids since God knows when, so doncha think that if there are any health hazards from being exposed to this stuff that we would know by now?! Please, I implore you, you do not have to cry every time you see a box of "Life" cereal...Mikey is alive and playing with Aqua Sand.
The Aqua Sand Saga Continues (2/22/11): We were using this stuff outside yesterday; the temperature was about the same as it was when we were using this stuff indoors (due to a gas heater in kitchen). When my daughter was pouring the sand into the bowl, I could see a fine powder being blown away by the breeze. After playtime, I had a hard time separating the sand from the water within the net. Huge droplets of water were not easily removed from the net and seemed impervious to my previous removal methodology. I had to resort to trying to remove the water droplets via my fingers acting as a scoop (very tedious), and then just letting some drops remain within the net because they were too difficult to remove. I dumped the sand with included tiny drops into the bottle, then I would tip the bottle with quarter-turns in every direction to get out what water I could. There were still small water drops within the bottle that I could not remove, no matter what I did. This whole new dimension to sand removal was a little more painful. I am not sure if the fine powder that I saw floating away was an additive to the sand that somehow allows smaller water drops to flow more freely away from the sand, or if it was just finer particles of the sand floating away. My net does not seem clogged with any substance. I will report later if I have any more sand/water removal problems on a non-windy day of play...and whether or not the water droplets that are within the sand bottles have a negative effect, although I think that that is no biggie. Taking away one overall star for now 'cause the newly discovered above quirk was a pain in the butt for an overloaded parent.
"Yes, I Am Cracked" Final Notes on 3/25/11: Used outside again on a day much like the above (2/22)...before my daughter poured out the stuff, I peeked in one bottle to determine exactly how water drops that are trapped within the bottles affect the sand. The water drops that I examined within one bottle had an oily sheen and looked a bit slimy. Plus, the water drops do not evaporate as I had previously thought, or at least do not evaporate quickly. Play was still fun, but there was still a lot of particles floating on the surface of the water. Sand removal this time was simpler due to the fact that I eschewed the net and used my fist...yep, the sand was still resistant to my futile netting attempts. All in all, cleanup was actually easier than it has ever been due to the fist method, and maybe the water drops that are trapped within the bottles do indeed affect the sand's preformance. Overall stars remaining the same due to fun and my new cleanup method. (One last note for info-heads: we have lost a quantity of sand which equals .8 of an ounce; discovered this tidbit with digital cooking scale.)
This Sand Will Not Chafe Your Tush . Synopsis of below info for time-constrained folks: Fun for all; cleanup of product is about half an hour inside, and ten minutes when used outside. Sand was easy to net at first, but then "transformed" somehow and resisted capture via the included net, so just use fist. Set includes four 2.1 ounce bottles; we lost .8 of an ounce through several general play sessions. Wash hands after use.
This stuff is just as much fun as it was for me about thirty years ago. Particles do float on the top of the water, but this does not (and did not for me when I did not have crow's feet) detract from the fun. Another helpful reviewer clued me into the fact that the tank that came with the themed sets was very small, so I purchased this above set at Toys R Us (can only get this set there), and decided to use big, clear glass bowls that I already own and for the purpose of maximum viewing excitement. My kids, a newbie three and a jaded seven, had a blast. Colors get promptly mixed into a dazzling rainbow, so if you are a purist, forget this stuff. I provided a plastic fork and a long "Dairy Queen" spoon for whichever child did not grab the rake/spoon/net thingy first, therefore both kids would have implements to shape the sand (yes, you can use your mitts, in fact, this is more fun). Now, please engage the soundtrack for the PreK "Cleanup" song...thank you. Let me first state that if you are a clean freak, this sand was not that hard to remove from my kitchen in general. Removing real beach sand from rugrats and beach supplies is actually more difficult. Anyway, this was my cleanup/play method: I laid out a big, old towel and rags for any spills on my kitchen table. Kids played, then abandoned me after washing hands (the sand leaves a dry, powdery film on your hands). I began to remove the sand from the water by alternating skimming particles from the top with the little net thingy and using what I call the "white shark method"- scooping up the sand from the bottom, and pulling my net straight up to contain the sand that I had just grabbed, while also picking up any loose sand floating on the surface indirectly (killin' two birds with one stone). If there were any water droplets on top of my netted sand, I would encourage them to descend to the bottom of the net by gently tapping the net on the side of the bowl, or I just let gravity do its thing (you can see the droplets exiting the bottom of the net). You can also "pile up" the dregs of the sand and place it right into your net underwater in order to remove even more- just don't get OCD about salvaging every bit of sand, or you will be there all day. The funnel works great. After getting the sand back in the bottles, I poured the water outside, and wiped the bowls with paper towels to remove extra particles. I then shook out the towel outside, wiped sand off my table onto my kitchen floor, cleaned the chairs, swept up, and voila, I was done. It seemed to take only twenty minutes, but I will time my cleanup method the next time we play with this stuff, and give an update. Plus, we lost a lot less sand than I thought we would- only like three teaspoons worth. I noticed that one parent's review stated that her kids needed help; another reviewer was disappointed that her four-year-old was not able to cleanup the mess herself...hey, it's not like I sat there the whole time bonding deeply with my brats, but I was at least hovering by them and helping my three-year-old from time to time, and I do not expect my kids to make my domicile look like a "Pottery Barn" catalog pic. In other words, I was not expecting the sand to babysit my kids. I cannot afford the sand's fee, anyway (hee, hee).
Update/Extra Tidbits several days later: I mentioned in the above review that I would time my cleanup method. The purpose of this is in order to inform people who do not want to spend a lot of time cleaning up whether or not they should purchase this product. Well, my cleanup time was increased. It took me 25 minutes and 39 seconds to cleanup during this latest Aqua Sand episode. I included in my timing traveling to the laundry room to get rid of dirty and clean rags, going back a second time to the laundry room 'cause I forgot my dustpan/brush, cleaning two kitchen chairs, washing the utensils and bowls, wiping down my counter, and putting my kitchen table back in order, as it doubles as Grand Central Station. Only the action of cleaning the chairs was included in my original time estimate of twenty minutes. Only one child played with the Aqua Sand this time- the three-year-old, and she can go either way with messes- total chaos or "Welcome to the Brady residence- we are orderly!". She was the latter during this session. We also lost less sand this time- one and a half teaspoons within the water and on the table; a fourth of a teaspoon on the floor. I noticed that there were more "particle islands" floating on the surface of the water this time. These can be rescued by pushing the little island into the water, where it then becomes a scoopable small blob of sand. I also want to mention here that both of my kids have placed the tip of the sand bottle in the water when ejecting the sand, and there have been no negative effects as of yet. I will update this review if I discover any more viable info.
Recently Discovered Viable Info day later: Aqua Sand is indeed sand and not sandpaper grit (ie.garnet, aluminum oxide) as conjectured by one reviewer. It did not scratch my kitchen table, which can be easily scratched as it is a black, matte 50's-diner-style-deal (disagreeing with same reviewer). One reviewer was very upset that when her daughter received the mermaid-themed Aqua Sand set, the mermaid contained within was totally different. A rep at Aqua Sand told this reviewer that she/he should have opened the box before purchase, and said reviewer was shocked by this suggestion. In defense of Aqua Sand and people like me who remove the elastic band holding new shoes together in Target, you can totally open packaging to check items out within certain limits. I have seen everything from underwear packages to dish sets with fooled-with-to-gain-entry packaging (in Target two weeks ago a young woman opened a moisturizer set to view the goods). This doesn't mean that I'm trying on the deodorant when I check to make sure that the plastic dome is intact; I'm just protecting myself as a consumer. In defense of the mermaid-set reviewer, how would she have known to inspect the set due to the possibility that a totally different meramid could be inside? That is definitely upsetting to some kids, and Aqua Sand should be upfront about what is or possibly contained within their sets (I know it is possible that the box may carry the statement: "contents may vary" in some obscure place in tiny lettering). Some people are freaking out about the safety of Aqua Sand...hey, this stuff has been used in educational applications aimed at kids since God knows when, so doncha think that if there are any health hazards from being exposed to this stuff that we would know by now?! Please, I implore you, you do not have to cry every time you see a box of "Life" cereal...Mikey is alive and playing with Aqua Sand.
The Aqua Sand Saga Continues (2/22/11): We were using this stuff outside yesterday; the temperature was about the same as it was when we were using this stuff indoors (due to a gas heater in kitchen). When my daughter was pouring the sand into the bowl, I could see a fine powder being blown away by the breeze. After playtime, I had a hard time separating the sand from the water within the net. Huge droplets of water were not easily removed from the net and seemed impervious to my previous removal methodology. I had to resort to trying to remove the water droplets via my fingers acting as a scoop (very tedious), and then just letting some drops remain within the net because they were too difficult to remove. I dumped the sand with included tiny drops into the bottle, then I would tip the bottle with quarter-turns in every direction to get out what water I could. There were still small water drops within the bottle that I could not remove, no matter what I did. This whole new dimension to sand removal was a little more painful. I am not sure if the fine powder that I saw floating away was an additive to the sand that somehow allows smaller water drops to flow more freely away from the sand, or if it was just finer particles of the sand floating away. My net does not seem clogged with any substance. I will report later if I have any more sand/water removal problems on a non-windy day of play...and whether or not the water droplets that are within the sand bottles have a negative effect, although I think that that is no biggie. Taking away one overall star for now 'cause the newly discovered above quirk was a pain in the butt for an overloaded parent.
"Yes, I Am Cracked" Final Notes on 3/25/11: Used outside again on a day much like the above (2/22)...before my daughter poured out the stuff, I peeked in one bottle to determine exactly how water drops that are trapped within the bottles affect the sand. The water drops that I examined within one bottle had an oily sheen and looked a bit slimy. Plus, the water drops do not evaporate as I had previously thought, or at least do not evaporate quickly. Play was still fun, but there was still a lot of particles floating on the surface of the water. Sand removal this time was simpler due to the fact that I eschewed the net and used my fist...yep, the sand was still resistant to my futile netting attempts. All in all, cleanup was actually easier than it has ever been due to the fist method, and maybe the water drops that are trapped within the bottles do indeed affect the sand's preformance. Overall stars remaining the same due to fun and my new cleanup method. (One last note for info-heads: we have lost a quantity of sand which equals .8 of an ounce; discovered this tidbit with digital cooking scale.)
Feature Aqua Sand Refill Set
- yellow, blue, green, purple sand
- 1 scoop/rake tool
- 1 mini funnel
- (4) - 2.1 oz Aqua Sand mini bottles
Product Details
EAN : 0778988871645UPC : 778988871645
MPN : 6014426
Brand : Spin Master
Weight : 2 pounds
Height : 3 inches
Length : 11 inches
Width : 10 inches
Binding : Toy
Manufacturer : Spin Master
Publisher : Spin Master
SKU : 3B7E841B
Studio : Spin Master
Similar Products
- Aqua Sand Double Bottle Orange /Purple
- Aqua Sand Double Bottle Pink / Green
- Aqua Sand Double Bottle Blue / Yellow
Where To Buy
You can buy Aqua Sand Refill Set on Amazon . Click here to Read More
