How to Build a Kids’ Sandpit

Building a kids’ sandpit is a fun way to spend an afternoon and they will love you even more for doing it. If they are old enough, you could even get them to help you create it. This will be an amazing project you can work on together and the kids will love playing in it knowing that they have helped to make it. Here are some tips to help you build it.

Choose a Location

The location of the sandpit will often depend on the size of your garden. However, there are some things that you will need to take into consideration. Build the sandpit in a shady area of the garden if you can, as hopefully the kids will want to spend hours at a time playing in it and you don’t want to run the risk of them getting sunburned. Make sure that the location is within easy reach of the house and in your eyeline as you look out of the window. That way, you can leave the kids playing by themselves if you need to be inside. The sandpit should be built on the highest part of your garden so that any rainwater can drain away from the sandpit easily and not drown the sand.

Measure the Area

Measure the area to see how much wood you will need to build the sandpit. Cedar is the best wood to build a sandpit with as it is the most durable and hard-wearing. You will need to think about how much wood it will take to build a perimeter, a seating area, and a lid for the sandbox.

Prepare the Wood

Once you have the wood, it is time to cut it. Use a miter saw to cut the wood to the size you want for the perimeter of your sandbox. Sand the wood down to remove splinters. You can use sandpaper for this or a multi sander to save you time if you have the right tools. You are now ready to build the perimeter.

Building the Sandpit

Put the perimeter together using the decking boards you have prepared. The interlocking tongue and groove system is the perfect way of doing this as it will hold the boards together well. Once you have this in place, you can create the horizontal seating around the edges by attaching duckboards to the perimeter boards. This will give you a seating area that goes along the top of the sandpit. Make sure you have plenty of room for your kids and their friends to play in.

Building the Cover

Put the decking boards together using the interlocking tongue and groove system and then screw two boards across these at the top and bottom to act as crossbars. Once these are in place, screw the hinges in place along the longer piece. Screw the cover to the sandpit and you have a fitted lid which should keep the sand in place and make sure that it does not end up going all over your garden.

Treat the Timber

Next, you will need to treat the timber to protect it from the elements. There are a variety of different colors to choose from so ask the kids what their preference is and let them help you with the painting process. Use an exterior wood paint for this purpose such as you would to paint a garden fence.

Inside the Sandpit

Once the paint is dry, you are ready to move on to the interior of the sandpit. Firstly, you will need to line the sandpit base with pond liner. This is hard wearing and will keep the sand secure. Fill the sandpit with sand but make sure it is at least 10cm from the top of the sandpit. This means that the kids will have room to build sandcastles without creating a sandy mess all over the lawn. The amount of sand you will need to use will depend on the size of the sandpit. Use a sand calculator to help you figure out how much sand you need to use.

Toys

You have now finished building the sandpit and it is time to decide what toys to put in it. There are many options available from the traditional bucket and spade to more modern designs that can create various seaside creatures and patterns. Your kids will also love playing with their existing toys in the sandpit too.

Follow these tips to help you create your kids’ dream sandpit and give them hours of outdoor fun.