Fun in the Sun #12: Step2 Sand & Water Fun Farm {Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, KainsHottie!}

When it comes to spending time outdoors this summer, I have visions of relaxing on a comfortable swing or lounge chair with a glass of lemonade and being content to listen to the sounds of the breeze and the birds chirping.

My children, on the other hand? Well, that's not exactly something that they choose to partake in for longer than a minute. Maybe two.

Instead, I look to offer them ways to stretch their creativity, keep them entertained, and provide hours of fun, all while getting to spend time outside enjoying the long-awaited sunshine. And when it comes to a company that is known for being a leading innovator of quality children's products that are designed to build imaginations and celebrate childhood, Step2 is always a top choice.

The nation's largest toddler toy manufacturer and marketer of high quality plastic products, the Step2 Company was founded on the philosophy of quality, value and service backed by a commitment to customer satisfaction. With products distributed to retailers throughout the U.S., Canada and over 70 other countries, this is one name that is recognized and known worldwide for being top-of-the-line.

Therefore, when the new Step2 Sand & Water Fun Farm arrived, I had no doubt that it would be just the thing to keep Big Sister E and Little Sister B happy with their love of all things sand and water.

Complete with two compartments for sand and/or water, legs to keep it raised up off the ground, and plenty of toys to go around, the Sand & Water Fun Farm has just about everything to keep toddlers occupied all summer long.

When the large box arrived, I was pleased to see that the assembly process was going to be fairly intuitive and wouldn't require much more than attaching the three legs to the table base.

In a matter of minutes I had the legs in place and the cute stickers applied. Weighing only 12 pounds, it is extremely easy to lift and move this activity table to nearly any location, indoors or out. The kids had already confiscated many of the toys and accessories that came with it...

But once I had sand in one of the small compartments and water in the other, I could see them instantly drawn to coming over to play.

Featuring a path for the tractor to run around the perimeter as well as through the middle, a movable barn tunnel, a windmill, a sand/water wheel, a shovel, and a selection of farm and animal figurines, Step2 really went all-out when providing additions to this table.

Even though Big Sister E is slightly tall for this table, she still enjoys scooping and playing with the sand and water - what kid doesn't? There is plenty of space for both children to stand and be able to reach everything (with room for at least one or two more), and they've loved spending time together or alone making up farm tales or envisioning adventure after adventure.

Even though the wheel doesn't seem to particularly spin all that much, Little Sister B is especially fond of pouring water through the funnel to watch it run down over it and thinks it is great when she can fill up the tractor's carts. She has done it over and over again and never grows tired of it!

I do wish that there was a cover as well as drainage holes for this table, as I find leaving it uncovered outside leads to somewhat of a muddy mess in the days that follow (particularly if it rains)... and then with no holes it just all has to be dumped out instead of drained. Having water on both sides makes the cleanup process much easier, however, because in one easy lift-and-tip motion the whole thing is then ready to be filled again next time.

All in all, throughout the time that we have been using the Sand & Water Fun Farm it has proven to be very durable and a whole lot of fun. I appreciate the colorful, lightweight construction, how easy the minimal assembly was to put it together, and all of the toys that came with it that can be used at the table or separately to extend the entertainment even further.

Retailing for $59.99, the Step2 Sand & Water Fun Farm would be a cute addition to any yard or deck this summer and is sure to provide hours of amusement. Visit the Step2 website for more information as well as to see all of the great options that they have for outdoor play! And, thanks to their generosity, one person will be able to have endless imaginative farm exploration as well, because...

One lucky person will win a Sand & Water Fun Farm from Step2!

To enter to win: Visit Step2 and tell me another of their innovative and fun products that you (or your child) would like to own.

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry if you head over to A Mom's Balancing Act and enter to win a Sand & Water Fun Farm from Step2 over there as well!
1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Step2 on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the Fun in the Sun giveaways (Fun in the Sun giveaways ONLY) running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

Fun in the Sun 12: WIN a Step2 Sand & Water Fun Farm (ARV $60) for endless fun! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/kbCIef #giveaway #win

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you have our Fun in the Sun button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on July 1st at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

A big thank you to Step2 for providing a Sand & Water Fun Farm for me to review as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.