Self-propelled kid-friendly attractions have often been found in theme parks, giving children a hands-on way to make their own fun as well as to burn off some of their youthful energy derived from the vast amounts of sugar consumed while in a theme park.
	Parks have long offered variations on the experiences kids could find in traditional playgrounds and sandboxes. Beginning in 1986, the diggers offered an experience that was akin to playing with toy trucks in the sand, and with this small attraction it put the kids at the controls of one of four backhoes.  Each of the four diggers occupied a corner of a fenced in sand pit full of clean soft beach sand located next to the Porky Pig Pipeline and across from Sylvester Scooters.
		(Photo not taken at SFGA)
	The metal digging apparatus contained a seat for the pint-sized operator as well as two levers to lift the digger arm and another to tip the bucket.  The entire machinery also swiveled allowing for major earth-moving capabilities.  The set of diggers found a limited audience at Great Adventure, with the smallest children too tiny to operate the shovels and older toddlers more interested in going on the rides.  The hot summer sun and weather conditions often made the uncovered sand too dry or too wet to really have any fun digging.  For 1999, the diggers were replaced by the Wile E. Coyote Speedtrap.
Original Spotlight:  March 8, 2020;  Updated: March 28, 2020.  GAH Reference#:  KIDS-1986-001