I watch my granddaughter while my daughter works. It's hard to keep the baby occupied during the day. Oh what to do what to do? A sandbox should work out nicely but I don't want to build one because it's just one more thing I would have to tear down when she is done using it, not to mention, I really don't have the yard space. We bought one of those small plastic childrens pools. Put 4 bags of white play sand in it purchased through the Home Depot and viola, instant sand box. I did purchase some velcro and a small blue tarp to cover the sandbox each nite. I numbered the velcro on the pool lip and the tarp just to make sure everything was where it needed to be to fit perfectly. She literally plays in it for one hour each day. Just enough time to give me a small break. I sit outside and do my reading or working here on the website while she plays. Sometimes I help her bury herself in the sand.
Oh how the baby loves to play in water. One of the nice things about toddlers is you don't have to do much to make them happy. After the sandbox each day, weather permitting, I give her one of her large sand buckets, fill it with water and put it on her play table right in the middle of the yard. I have thought about putting it on the ground, but don't want to take any chances of her falling head first into it. She loves that bucket filled with water. She just likes to splash and take cups of water out and throw it around. When she tips the bucket over, water time is over. Eventually we will be getting a small water pool for her lined with bath tub liners. You know the kind that come shaped like duckies or fish that keep you from slipping in the shower.