Green Daily

If your child plays in a sandbox, whether at home, daycare or the park, you may want to understand what exactly is in that sandbox. Much of the playsand that is out there is not natural sand, like you would find at a beach, but is derived from quarried quartz rocks and contains silica. Such sand could give off a dangerous dust. In fact, the State of California requires a label on playsand that contains crystalline silica. The dust from such sand is regulated and can cause lung problems.

The Safe Sand Company offers an alternative to most of the playsand available; it is a feldspathic sand according to the company. It is approved safe by ASTM (USA), Corporate and Consumer Affairs Canada and EN-71 (Europe).

Two hundred pounds, which will fill the typical sandbox, costs $199. If that's not in your budget, for a cheaper alternative, Safe Sand recommends a dust-free, washed and sterilized pea gravel. While you can't build sand castles with pea gravel, it can still be lots of fun for playing with shovels and construction vehicles.