Health Tip: Protect Your Child's Sandbox

(HealthDay News) -- A sandbox is a fun way for your child to get creative outdoors. But it also can harbor germs.

To help keep your child's sandbox safer, the American Academy of Pediatrics suggests:

• Use only natural river or beach sand.
• Cover the sandbox when not in use to keep animals and insects out.
• Let wet sand dry completely before covering.
• Rake sand regularly to get rid of clumps and debris.
• Keep pets out of the sandbox