Knights in their own sandcastle, bake cakes or simply muddy around to your heart’s content. Most children like to play for hours in the sandpit. And mum and dad are also often passionate about building along. In order not to always have to go to the playground for the fun, parents can fulfill their little ones’ dream when they build a sandbox . Whether in the garden or on the terrace: We will show you how to build a sandbox, what material you need and which factors have to be taken into account.
Find other great guides for children’s play in our Parents/Children section.
1. Materials to build a sandbox
To build a good sandbox, you need good material, including gravel, wooden boards or plastic.
Decide in advance whether you want to build a sandbox made of wood or plastic yourself. The properties of the two materials can be found in the table:
| Features and tips |
|---|
| WOOD: High-quality and robust tree species: fir, spruce, ruby, larch or Douglas fir, Use untreated wood to avoid washing pollutants into the sand, Impregnating for longer service life, Impregnation must be child-friendly with low pollutant content, Non-toxic and resistant paintwork |
| PLASIC: Kits available, Made of recycled plastic possible, Weather-resistant and therefore more durable, Possibly contaminated with pollutants, has less aesthetic effect in the natural garden |
Build a sandbox where your children will have a lot of fun.
Essential for a good sandbox is the sand. To make sand play really fun, your child should be able to shape the sand well. For this purpose, make sure that the grain is ideal: the grains of sand should have a diameter of 0.06 mm to 2 mm. To prevent injuries, the sand should be round and fine-grained. In addition, the sand used must be free of pollution and environmental toxins.
For a small sandbox you can also buy game sand. Washed construction sand is also possible, which is usually cheaper and as strictly tested for foreign and pollutants as game sand. Sand with organic seal promises a particularly good quality.
2. Important considerations and preparations
For the construction of a sandbox you need, among other things, wooden boards, fleece and gravel.
Before building yourself, you should clarify where the sandbox should be installed and whether there is enough space available. For more tips, see the following chapters.
2.1. Location
The sandbox should be especially close to the parents. Of course, you want to be able to watch your child play relaxed. This means that the sandbox should be near the terrace or the house. In addition, make sure that your child is not exposed to direct sunlight. An umbrella, shade cloth or sandbox roof also provide a remedy.
2.2. Underneath the sandbox…
Ensure a proper subsoil so that rainwater can drain away. There are two ways to do this:
- Design the area under the stone sandbox. The water can drain through the joints.
- Place gravel on the floor and a layer of fleece on it, which you attach to the edge. This drains the water and protects against insects and weeds.
2.3. Depth
Here the following applies: The deeper the children can dig, the more fun you have. That’s why most sandboxes are about 30 to 40 cm deep. Be careful not to lay the sandbox even deeper to avoid accidents and collapses.
2.4. Size
Especially when playing sand, children need enough play area. Therefore, the sandbox should be at least 1.50 m x 1.50 m in size, even better is a size of 2 m x 2 m. Several children and their toys have enough space here. The sandbox should be at least 30 cm high.
3. Instructions t0 build a sandbox
Knights in their own sandcastle, bake cakes or simply muddy around to your heart’s content. Most children like to play for hours in the sandpit. And mum and dad are also often passionate about building along. In order not to always have to go to the playground for the fun, parents can fulfill their little ones’ dream of their own sandbox by building it themselves.
Whether in the garden or on the terrace: We will show you how the construction of the sandbox works, what material you need and which factors have to be taken into account.
When buying the sand, pay attention to the organic seal.
With our construction instruction you can quickly and easily create your own sandbox:
- Lift a hole in which your large sandbox can be found. The hole should be only half as deep as the wooden boards.
- Fill the hole with gravel.
- For the interior design, you must place the boards in a square and screw them together.
- You should then attach the fleece to the inner edges with tackers or nails.
- Construction is now placed in the hole filled with gravel.
- You build the exterior construction like the interior construction by placing the boards in the square and attaching them to each other.
- Place this construction around the interior construction, working exactly to measure. Note the right distance!
- Now tighten the seat and anchor the screws deep enough in the wood.
- Now you can fill in the sand and your children will enjoy many hours in their new sandbox.
4. Imaginitive design
Let your imagination run wild: you can build and design your sandbox according to your taste. Whether with a roof, with a bench, as a large boat or a pirate ship – many things are possible. Children also enjoy colourful painting or other embellishments. For this purpose, you can use solid wood, logs or tree trunks or even prefabricated components.
Good to knowYou are not gifted in craftsmanship, do you still want to build your child a sandbox yourself? Then we recommend a kit. This still offers you a large design freedom and the child will be happy about his new sandbox.
5. FAQ on building sandboxes
Is it possible to build a sandbox on a leased or rented property?
If your rental or lease agreement does not contain an extra clause, you can easily build a sandbox on the property. Make sure that there is no irrevocable damage. It would be advisable if you let the owner know in advance and obtain written permission.
How can the sandbox be protected from contamination?
Protection from above: The best way to keep the sandbox clean is a cover or tarpaulin. This not only protects against rain and impurities, but also keeps the sandbox clean during the winter months. The tarpaulin should therefore cover the entire sandbox and be well fastened.
You can also use sturdy, waterproof films, wooden panels, grids or tight meshes. If you use a kit, you can also opt for a sandbox with a lid.
Protection from below: To prevent the sand from mixing with soil from the ground, an intermediate layer is recommended before filling with sand. Use a gravel layer, a very tight-meshed lawn mat or a fleece. This means that insects like worms cannot get out of the ground into the sand.
In spring and summer, the sand should, if possible, be sifted once a month to remove coarser contaminants and foreign bodies.
