I always try to bring a couple of basic sand toys for our kids to play with at the park. While sand toys are great fun, they can also be quite frustrating. Many kids don’t yet understand that the sand toys belong to a specific kid. Tantrums happen when everyone wants the same excavator or the kids are short one shovel. And, as a parent, it’s frustrating to end a play date hunting for your kids’ toys that have been carelessly discarded or have gone missing. I can see why many caregivers frequently “forget” their sand toys at home.

Recently I left our sand toys in the minivan. We weren’t planning to stay at the park very long, so the extra toys just weren’t worth the hassle.

Of course, our kids immediately ran to the sand area and wanted to dig. I quickly searched for some rocks and sticks and showed them how to use them as digging and building tools. Thankfully our kids were intrigued. Using simple rocks and sticks, they were able to make a huge hole, tunnel, and a pretend animal home.

And, the best part? No one was trying to steal anyone else’s toys. I didn’t have to worry about sand toys getting lost or taken. The park outing was surprisingly peaceful. Yes, a couple of kids thought it would be fun to wreck the creations, but our kids were able to stand up for themselves because they were just protecting their one creation rather than also keeping track of their toys.

Sand toys are wonderful. And most of the time we will bring them to the park and the beach. But, leaving them in the minivan and thinking outside the box was a wonderful way to spend the afternoon.