Customer Reviews

Little Tikes Sand and Sea Play Table

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

My 2 toddlers played a lot with this table last summer, and probably will again this spring/summer. Surprisingly the sand side was more of a hit than the water side. Be forewarned that their favorite activity was dumping sand from the table to the ground despite my frequent demands to the contrary. If we weren't in a rental, an actual ground level sandbox would be better...

After one season outside, the umbrella looked pretty dirty, though cleaned up nicely with bleach.
The table was simple to put together with one exception. There are screws to hold the legs to the table, but you can't screw through the hard plastic. I had to hammer them in, plus the box was missing one, so I had to order a replacement.

Very disappointed with this product. It is a cute concept, but the first day we had it, the dye from the lids leaked all over. I'm sure that can't be too safe, probably toxic. Every time the lid for the crab would get wet we would have yellow dye all over our deck. Also the water would not stay in, it leaked out within minutes. Very cheaply made!! The lids don't stay on well either. I usually like Little Tykes products, but this one is not made well. I am returning it for something else.

First the Cons: Installation was not easy but it was not hard either. I needed a drill and a screw driver. The lids could have been a little sturdier. The Water plug does not drain all the water.

Now the Pros: My Son absolutely loves playing in it. He is 19 months and it is a hit on play dates. I can't keep the sand and the water sections open at the same time as the sand will end up in the water and vice versa. Bottom line is that it keeps him occupied and interested and he loves it.

We got this for my daughter's second birthday and it's a huge hit! I like every single thing about it and more importantly, she does! The only thing keeping me from giving it a 5 star review is that there are no screw holes to attach the legs, you have to screw through the plastic and that took forever! Either use a power drill or plan to spend a long time (they're long screws) putting the legs on! Aside from that, it survived quite abit of rough housing at her birthday from all the kids and took it like a champ! We have ours on our patio and it's not too big and bulky and yet 5 kids (little kids- toddlers and preschoolers) played with it at the same time! I would also note that it's pretty short. It's perfect for little kiddos, but I think a 5 year old would need to sit down to use it!

I think I worked out why some people had so much trouble with assembly and for some it was a breeze. Firstly, it's true what others have already said, that you should use a drill screwdriver. In addition, it is important to situate the legs correctly before screwing them in. You could easily put them in 90 degrees out of rotation, and have more trouble and much less stability. Make sure the smooth bumps on the legs face towards the screws. This means that the more dimpled bumps are the ones where the screws will go in. There is a smaller indented area within the indent, and when the screws go in there they will cinch correctly. In our unit, if the legs were in right, the tiny little hole (further up the leg) was facing the other leg (from the same side of the table).

Our toddler twins love this toy and played with it for hours. So far we just put water in both sides. Soon I will add sand to one side and I'm sure the fun will continue and possibly also increase (hard to picture though, they are really enjoying this).

I highly recommend this toy.

I think the idea of a sand & water table is great. I don't think this particular one is the best quality one out there. I don't really like the center leg - ya need it for stability but I would have rather gone with the other 4 legged table by Step 2. It might not be as creative but it's alot more solid. Just make sure if you move this table you have 2 people that pick it up -- do NOT slide or pull it because that's where you'll lose stability in the legs.

Overall I like the product and would probably buy it again.
Pros:
The kids love it. My 4 yr old girl & 14 month old boy play with it nearly every day for about 30 to 45 minutes before moving onto something else. The water wheel in the sea table is a cute feature (spinning a water wheel produces a current that makes the boats go around the whole table).
Cons:
It was a little frustrating to put together. (It helps to have two people to hold pieces together while you insert the screws. Also make sure you protect the crab's eyes with something while you have the table flipped upside down. The eyes were all scratched up afterwards, though a black permanent marker helped cover the scratches.) Though it is no surprise given what the product is, it doesn't take long for the kids to make a mess (sand all around the table and on the water side as well). The sea table has been leaking lately (difficult to keep sand away from and out of the drain).

I bought this product for my son who is almost 2 and he likes it. I would recommend this product to others. The only bad thing about this item I have found so far is the legs. The legs have to be srewed on and there is no pre-drilled holes which made it difficult.Also the umbrella. The umbrella dosnt secure to the thing in any way it just slides into a hole a wind comes through and its gone! This product is made from a heavy duty plastic which is awsome. My son plays at this thing for a very long time..his fav is the water end.

Pros: My toddler loves it and plays independently for hours on end every day.

Cons:
1. Difficult to put together. My husband had to an electric drill even though the directions show a regular screw driver being used. This is impossible since the screws need to go through solid hard plastic.
2. The plug doesn't hold the water in. I have to keep a bucket underneath and dump the water back in constantly.
3. The sand table is small and the slightest movement of a toy dump truck usually pushes sand out onto the ground.
4. I know this is due to my toddler, but other toddler parents should know that neither the sand nor the water will stay on their respective sides. They will get mixed and be very messy.
5. The legs seem very unstable. Every time my toddler leans on it, I think it is going to tip over and collapse.
6. The lids don't stay on very well, and there is no way to fit all the toys in it with the lids on top.

Alternative suggestion: stick to a regular sand box and buy a water table, putting the two far away from each other! This is what I wish I would have done.

This is a fun toy, and my daughter likes playing with it, but I wish that I had bought a different water table. First of all, It is REALLY DIFFICULT to put together. My hands had blisters by the time I finished. The legs have to be hand screwed in, and there's not a lot of room to comfortably maneuver this. Also, it's a little big to move around with one person. The water side has a wheel to spin which makes a current for the boats to move around. This should be fun, but the bridge is so low that the boats won't fit under the bridge! There's a wheel to pour water on to make it spin, but the way it's designed, you can't really see the water spinning through. We didn't add sand but instead filled that side with water. We bought a fishing toy with fish to catch which is more fun than the toys that came with this table. But there's not a drain plug on that side, so we have to tip the table over to drain it. I would definately buy a water table again, but I would have chosen a different one if I had it to do over again.