Do you remember your childhood sandbox and all the fun to be had? All the afternoons spent creating masterpiece sculptures, and zooming through “construction sites” with the dump truck, or simply digging yourself a chair, covering your feet with cool sand and staring at the clouds? Every child should have that same experience and the glowing memories that accompany the sandbox. If you have some extra room in the back yard and a great imagination you can build a wonderful sandbox for your children to make memories in.



It is reasonably inexpensive to build a sandbox and it's not too difficult either. $50 will buy you the supplies for a sandbox without the cover and for around $100 you will have a sandbox complete with a cover. A cover is suggested to avoid having your child's sandbox being used as the neighborhood litter box, kitties love them just about as much as the kiddies. The cover will keep the sand clean and pure for your little one with no bugs, leaves, or other rubbish that could blow in.

Before you head for the hardware store an excellent tip is to take a look on the internet at sandbox's or even a community park. This will help you get an idea of the perfect size for your sand box and possibly give you some decorating ideas should you choose to paint your sandbox. The directions provided are for a 6'x6' sandbox. For this your will need to pick up two 12 foot 2”x12” lumber that has been pressure treated. Also pick up a 2”x4” board to be used as the corner posts to keep the sandbox sturdy. Keep in mind that all hardware (screws, nails, bolts etc.) should be galvanized to prevent them from rusting.

Tools to have on hand:

Saw (A circular saw if possible)

Drill with ¼ inch, 1/8 inch, and ¾ inch bits

Combination Square

Screwdriver

½ inch socket wrench

16-penny nails

4 bolts

You will start by sawing the 2”x12” lumber in half so that each piece is six foot in length. Assemble this into the square of your sandbox and nail together. Now that your sandbox is taking shape it is time to install the corner posts for sturdiness. You should now cut four 1ft lengths out of the 2”x4”. These will be used as the corner posts of the sandbox. Start by drilling a ½ inch hole into the corner of one 2”x12” using the ¾ inch bit. This will be used as the counter sink for the bolts. Have a helper hold one of the posts in place (lining up with the countersink hole) and drill all the way through the post using a ¼” bit. You will now fit the bolt complete with a washer and nut. Repeat this on the remaining three corners.

Some kids won't enjoy sitting directly in the sand so if you need to put in seats here's how: Start with a 1'x4' treated ply-wood board and simply cut it into 4 triangles. You will nail these triangles in each corner, and your finicky sand baby will have the perfect perch. Now that the box is complete you will need the sand to fill it. You can pick up bags of sand in the gardening or landscape section of any home improvement store or you can have the sand delivered. Take lots of pictures to show the kids as they grow older. Then they have proof of that magnificent sand castle!