The Sandbox

We are planning to do the same thing this spring for my son and we're also wondering what type of sand to get. I think we'll be going with the play sandbox sand, I've been told it dries out faster if it gets wet and is also cleaner. Glad to hear Lowe's sells it. Have fun!

Make the kids take off their shorts BEFORE they go back in the house. Also their underwear - unbelievable how much sand they can bring into the house.

Make sure you get a cover!!!! One that can keep critters (cats, mice, snakes, etc.) OUT....

if it is NOT covered when you are done playing in it for the day - animals LOVE LOVE LOVE the warm sand to nestle in...or relieve themselves, especially cats....so make sure you have a good, solid cover!!

HAVE FUN!!!!

I really don't like the play sand. We got some for our DD and it's really messy. At the park, there is 'normal' sand, and we can just brush it right off of her... the play sand is wetter and stickier, so I actually have to throw her in the bathtub and rinse her off when she's done. We can't let it run through a sifter or anything like that because it sticks to itself. It's PERFECT for builing sandcastles molding... but that's about it.

I am also with getting a cover. For ours, we just bought a pool cover (our sandbox is actually a wading pool filled with sand. lol) and use that... You might have your husband build a frame to fit just outside the sandbox (make sure it's slightly 'tented' so the rain will run off...) and stretch a tarp over it, so it's not too heavy...

We used the play sand from Lowe's or Home Depot.
Get a cover!!! Wayward cats will find your sand box and think they have found the biggest kitty litter box West of the MIssissippi.

My kids LOVED the sand box. Ours was not so cool. It was the big Playskool turtle.

Toy stores sell bagged sand that's been filtered and is pretty clean. Of course, after a month in your backyard it may look like sand from anywhere. We should have just driven down to the beach and carted it home. ;o) But living in OK I guess that's not an option. I'd jsut go to a mason supply place and get the sand that masons use.

I'd suggest that you poke some holes in the bed line so water can filter out of it, I'd also suggest some kind of cover for it otherwise the neighborhood cats will turn it into a littler box.

My kids loved the sandbox for about a year. It's really funny how they lost interest in it and didn't play in it as much as I thought they would. Maybe yours will be different.

My husband build a half sand box/ half wadding pool (with a pump/drain system) area fully seperate but next to each other with a cover over it last summer, spent lots of time and sand building it. We used two kinds of sand - the regular play sand from Home Depot/Lowe's and then we got some Crayola colored sand from Walmart to put on top of it. The sand was never the issue. I wouldn't build a sandbox again (or in the first place). My daughter loved it for the first month, has played in it a few more times, but that's it & that is the only activity we have in our backyard (no swing set or playhouse). She enjoyed the building process more than the final product. I should have had my husband focus on building a playhouse instead. The sand box has to have a great cover to keep the rain and cats out. Even if your neighbors all seem to have indoor cats, they find there way to your sandbox (so it has to be covered anytime you aren't using it really), which I found to be a pain. And we have forgotten to cover it a few times before it storms, so it's just wet sand for a long time (which my daughter doesn't seem to like). Your son will maybe love it for a long time, but I can tell, my daughter is really over the sandbox thing and it does take A LOT of sand to fill that big of a space. Just sharing our personal experience. Best of luck.

We put in a sand box when my son was 2 1/2. My son still loves to play in it and he's 6. We just went to the local soil market and picked up a truck load of sand. You will need a lot. Lots of fun !!! I will tell you that I did not anticipate the amount of sand that is carried in the house. We do have a large dog who basically loves to lay in it during the day.

The hardware store has "play sand" that you can put in the sand box. It's pretty cheap. The only advice I have is to make sure you have a cover for it. You don't want it to become the neighborhood cat litter box. Ew! =)

Oh, and my daughter (and daycare kids) LOVE the sand box!

Actually, it would be a good idea to really do your research online about what kind of sand to buy. We used Lowe's sand the first year, but after that I read that it's really better to buy the sandbox sand from a Toystore because other sands often have cancer-causing substances in them that can be inhaled and you don't know it. I think it was called "silicates", but I may be wrong. It's been a few years since I read it. Since that time we've only bought the Toysrus sand and it's much nicer...smoother and easier to use with sand sifting toys. I think the pea gravel idea is great!

We have a 10 x 10 home made sand box in our backyard. The kids enjoy it when it's in the shade :)

I called around to some sand delivery places. Some were helpful and other's weren't. They recommended the bag of play sand. But that was going to cost a lot. I ended up using a company that said they sifted and cleaned it, they also delivered it to our house. We got like 1 1/2 yards I believe for around $100.

I haven't covered it with anything in the 2 years we've had it. But, we have a dog so no cats to worry about. We did lay a heavy duty tarp on the ground just so the grass couldn't grown thru though.

I would think about lining the outside with landscape timbers. It will give it more of a defined edge. That's our plan when we finally get around to building one.

You'll also want to drill some drainage holes in the bottom of the bed liner. If you don't any type of water or rain will just sit in the bottom of the sand box.

You're going to want some type of cover. We're going to get some sheets of treated wood (or find some that we can treat ourselves) and make doors. They'll fasten to the landscape timbers with hinges and there will be some sort of hook and eye closure.

We have a play sand in the small sand box that we have right now. It's really fine. I think when we get the larger one, we'll probably use regular sand though. You should be able to find either kind at a hardware store.

And yes, my kids LOVE the sandbox! Just make sure to have them shake off before coming in the house :)

we used the play sand and it was ok, but it was so messy and the kids just ended up flipping it all over not to mention the dog loved to dig in it!
Last year when we needed to replace it my husband used small pea gravel over the left over sand and it has been wonderful! the boys haul it in thier trucks, transport it from one side to another, etc and it is so much easier to sweep up.
Now, if your kiddos want to sift, use molds, etc. this is not the way to go, but if like mine and they just want to haul and cart something, a great alternative!

Definitely invest in the "playground sand" that they sell in the toy stores.

My son received a "classic Radio Flyer" red wagon for Christmas when he was 18 months old. It was adorable, but we live on the side of a mountain so not really safe or practical! So... we turned it into a sandbox on wheels and he loves it!!

Just some advice- make certain that you have a tight cover and that you use that cover consistently. Once the sand gets wet, it is difficult to get it completely dry and if you leave it open... well, let's just say it's a very tempting litter box for every cat in a 10 mile radius. Our neighbors learned that one the hard way!

The play sand from Lowes/Home Depot comes in 50 lb bags. You're probably going to need 50-75 of them to fill up a sandbox that size.

Call landscaping companies or nurseries - most places that have mulch will have sand. My guess (from building a sandbox myself at the moment) is that you'll need about 1 1/2 cubic yards-ish.

Our children LOVED their sand box and we spent many hours outside around it. You will definitely want to keep it covered when not in use and always check it out before they get in it. The only thing I might recommend is that you not do something so large even though that is a neat idea. Sometimes it does get damp or ants seem to find a way inside it and it needs to be changed out if you plan to use it for a few years. They are tons of fun but do require some maintenance to keep it safe and healthy for the child(ren).

make sur eand make a cover for it or the neighborhood cats will be usiing it as a littler box