Sandboxes are a great way to add a fun activity for the kids to your backyard, but you might be wary of getting one in case of extortionate costs or irritating disturbances to your usual routine due to the building process.
Thankfully, this is far from the case, as you can easily build your very own sandbox pretty easily without the need to spend tons of cash or turn your backyard into a building site!
With this in mind, we are going to be looking at how you can go about building your own sandbox, as well as the tools that you will need for the job and what planning you will need to do. Let's get started.
Planning
You will need to thoroughly plan out your project beforehand so that you don't invest your money into the wrong materials.
Size is a particularly important point to consider, as you don't want to end up with no space left in your yard due to your sandbox being too big.
On the other hand, you also don't want a sandbox with little room for your kids to play in.
On average, the ideal size for two children would be around 8 feet by 8 feet, but this will of course vary depending on the size of your yard, the number of kids that you have, and how many kids will be regularly playing in the sandbox (such as your kid's friends, and any nephews, nieces, etc.).
When it comes to the placement of your sandbox, you will want to make sure that it is built in an area that is at least partially shaded so that when the summer rolls around, the children won't risk getting uncomfortably hot or sunburned whilst they play.
You might also want to consider building the sandbox close to the window so that you can keep an eye on the kids as they play if you need to stay inside.
Water runoff is also an important factor, particularly if you live in an area that tends to see a fair amount of rainfall.
Tackle this by building the sandbox in an elevated area of your yard, with a slight slope if possible. This will ensure that the sand doesn't become waterlogged when you have to deal with the rain.
What You Will Need To Build Your Sandbox
Before you get started, make sure that you have the following materials and tools at the ready, so you can jump right into the building:
- Play Sand
- Pre-Cut Lumber
- Clamps
- Shovel
- Tape Measure
- Spray or Chalk For Marking Out Areas
- Landscape Fabric Sheet
- Brackets or Deck Screws
- Construction Adhesive
- Framing Square
Step-By-Step Guide To Building Your Sandbox
You've done all the appropriate planning and gotten all of your materials and tools ready, so now it's time to get started on actually building the sandbox! Let's get into it.
Step One: Draw up the plans for your sandbox so that you will know the exact specifications.
The important things to think about here would be the size that the sandbox will need to be, as well as the shape so that it will fit your yard as well as possible.
Step Two: Use your chalk or your spray to mark the sandbox layout.
Step Three: Grab your shovel and cut out the area that you are hoping to use for your sandbox, then begin to remove the sod.
Confirm that the corners of the sandbox are square by using your framing square.
Step Four: Create your measurements, making sure to double and triple-check them to avoid any difficulties further down the line.
To do this, measure the length and width of the sandbox area that you cut out with the shovel.
This is an important step as it will help you to figure out what length your lumber boards will need to be.
For instance, if you find that the measurements of your sandbox layout are 6 feet wide by 7 feet long, it will need both 6 and 7 footboards.
When it comes to the boards themselves, make sure that they are thick and high enough to create an effective side to your sandbox. A good example of this would be four by four inch timbers or two by six inch boards.
Step Five: Now that you have the perfect size boards, frame out the sandbox dimensions by laying each board on the ground in the way that you plan to assemble them.
Step Six: Dig a small depression into the ground in the sandbox that is about six inches in depth.
Step Seven: Finish off the frame by squaring up the pieces within the hole you dug, then attach them together.
To do this, use the deck screws or the metal brackets (whichever is your preference).
Step Eight: Take the landscape fabric and line the floor of the sandbox to avoid the sand mixing with the dirt underneath.
A liner keeps the dirt away, but it also stops the likes of worms and other bugs making their way into the sandbox.
Add the liner to the sandbox before you add the second and the third level of the frame, and ensure that the landscape fabric covers the entirety of the frame as well as the area of the sandbox.
Step Nine: Next, add another level of wood to increase the height of the frame. Sandboxes are typically two or three levels deep, but- again- this is a personal preference.
How many levels you use will also depend on the width of the wood that you're using, as well as how deep you want it to be.
Step Ten: Finally, press down on the landscape fabric around the frame to make sure that it snugly fits into the sandbox.
Once done, lay another piece of wood over the frame so that it is secured.
Final Thoughts
There you have it! Your sandbox structure is now complete, and you are ready to add your sand.
So long as you plan thoroughly beforehand and make sure you have all the necessary materials at the ready, then you are sure to build your sandbox in next to no time, making for some very happy kids!