EXCLUSIVE: Some parents say new sand in NYC sandboxes injuring children

MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS, Manhattan (WABC) -- There are safety concerns in the sandboxes at some New York City Parks.

In an Eyewitness News exclusive story, parents are saying that the sand is actually hurting their children.

"This is a problem, the sand is not normal," said Danielle Alden, mother.

Ivory sand now fills several sandboxes in Riverside Park.

"I won't come until it's changed," said Nicole Homa, mother.

People want the sand changed back to regular beige sand.

Alden brought her 1-year-old to the tot lot at 105th Street on Wednesday.

The mother of two never imagined her son would end up injured. She asked Eyewitness News to partially cover his face.

His injuries are clear, he's got cuts and scrapes after falling face-first into a pile of that white sand.

"When he pulled up there was white flacks and debris stuck to his faces, which I had to brush off, as he's screaming and crying and he was bleeding around the nose area," Alden said.

It's extremely coarse, nothing like the fine sand that's normally here.

The change came May 6th, that's when each season the Parks Department freshens up the sand boxes.

The community is encouraged to help.

Alden's son's injuries got worse that same day.

As she was leaving the area, she tells me she spotted a parks employee and asked about the sand.

"She said, 'Oh, I'm sorry we ordered the wrong sand and hopefully by week's end we will have replaced the sandbox with new sand,'" Alden said.

All the crew did was haul away a pile of that white sand from the sidewalk, but never touched the sand in the box where Homa's 2-year-old daughter was playing.

"I was concerned about all the dust that is coming up that she is breathing it," Homa said.

Alden is spreading the word about the sand on a mommy blog.

"Warning other mothers to stay clear, at least know what you're getting into, that this could happen to you," Alden said.