Five Tips For Building
Your Own Sandbox

Building your own sandbox? Keep these tips in mind as you decide what’s right for you:

Choose the right location
Ideally you’ll want a level space with at least six feet of clearance around the perimeter of your sandbox. Keeping the sandbox closer to your home and/or swing set creates a cozy, defined ‘play area’ and makes monitoring backyard activity easier. Look for level ground, preferably with partial sunlight so that sand dries after rain but there are also periods of shade (preferably during the hot afternoon hours).

Choose the right materials
Rough-cut, untreated lumber can warp during cold winter months and rot when exposed to rain. On the other hand, pressure-treated wood can be dangerous (some types are treated with arsenic) and require urethane and other treatments to make it appropriate for sandbox use. Frame It All Composite Timbers use a blend of wood fiber and UV-protected polypropylene. They won’t splinter, are safe for children, resist warping and won’t rot.

Make it big enough
You’ll want a sandbox large enough to accommodate both your children and their friends and to give them all room to play. Frame It All sandbox kits offer spacious play space.

Keep it simple
Unless you’re an aspiring carpenter, you’ll want something that’s easy-to-build and simple to maintain. With a Frame It All sandbox, the only tools you’ll need are a hammer, a tape measure and a Phillips screwdriver.

Keep it covered
A sandbox cover is essential for keeping your play area clean. Animal waste, bird dropping and organic matter (leaves and twigs) can turn a sandbox into a bacteria hazard. Wood or plastic panels and tarps are common methods of covering sandboxes. However, cutting wood to fit can be time consuming and the panels may be too heavy for kids to lift. Tarps work – if they fit – but adding your own grommets and custom cutting and stitching tarp material can be time consuming. Every Frame It All sandbox kit has a corresponding tarp specially designed to work with the kit to provide an attractive, secure cover that’s easy to put on and take off.

To learn more about the patented Frame It All System, click here.