How to build a sandbox for kids

This step by step woodworking project is about how to build a sandbox for kids. Building a simple sandbox out of wood, is a great and cheap project, that will develop the creativity of your kids and keep them busy for many hours in a row. Gather all the materials and tools before starting the project, as to get the job done in just a few hours. This project is a great opportunity to involve the kids in their first project.

Before starting the actual building project, we recommend you to take into account several aspects. First of all, you need to adjust the size and the design of the sandbox to your needs, as there a lot of options that you could add to your woodworking project, such as: seats or covers. Moreover, work with attention and always choose quality materials, as you will see the difference on the long term.

Choose a proper location for the sandbox, that gets enough light and it is also partially shaded. Remove the vegetation before attaching the sandbox into place. If you want to create a permanent construction, you could dig 2′ deep holes for the corner posts. In addition, align the wooden components at both ends and drill pilot holes before inserting the screws, to prevent the wood from splitting. See all my Premium Plans in the Shop.

Made from this plan

Building a wooden sandbox

Building a sandbox

Materials

A – 4 pieces of 4×4 lumber – 9 1/2″ long POSTS
B – 2 pieces of 2×10 lumber – 96″ long FRAME
C – 2 pieces of 2×10 lumber – 69″ long FRAME
D – 2 pieces of 2×6 – 97″ long, 2 pieces – 73″ long TRIMS
E – 60 sq ft of landscaping fabric FABRIC

1 piece of 4×4 lumber – 4 ft
4 pieces of 2×10 lumber – 8 ft
2 pieces of 2×6 lumber – 10 ft
2 pieces of 2×6 lumber – 8 ft
60 sq ft of landscaping fabric
2 1/2″ screws
1 1/4″ screws
glue, stain
wood filler

Tools

Safety gloves, glasses
Miter saw, jigsaw, pocket hole jig
Chalk line, tape measure, spirit level, carpentry pencil
Drill machinery and drill bits

Tips

Apply several coats of wood stain to the wooden components
Adjust the size of the shelves, according to your needs and tastes

Time

One Day

Building the frame of the sandbox

The first step of the project is to build the frame of the sandbox. As you can notice in the image, building a basic frame doesn’t require complex woodworking skills, so any person with basic capabilities can get the job done. As you can notice in the image, we recommend you to attach the 2×10 slats to the 4×4 corner posts. Before locking the components together, we recommend you to check if the corners are right-angled and if the diagonals are equal.

Making the corner joints

We recommend you to drill pilot holes trough the slats before inserting the lag screws into the posts, to prevent the wood from splitting. In addition, you need to apply waterproof glue to the joints, in order to get rigid structure. As you can easily notice in the image, you should align the components and to close all the gaps between them. Make sure the lag screws will not meet, so pay attention when drilling the pilot holes.

Installing the fabric

After creating the wooden structure, you need to cover the soil and the inside faces of the components with landscaping fabric. You need to fit the fabric and attach it to the top of the slats with glue or staples.

Attaching the trims

One of the last step of the project is to attach the trims to the top of the slats. In order to get a professional result, we recommend you to cut both ends of the trims at 45º and to align it at both ends, before drilling pilot holes and inserting the galvanized screws. Countersink the head of the screws, if you want to get a neat appearance.

How to build a sandbox for kids

Last but not least, you should take care of the finishing touches. In order to build a sandbox for kids with a nice appearance, you have to fill the holes with a good wood filler and smooth the surface with 120-grit sandpaper along the wood grain, after the compound has dried out.

Thank you for reading our project about how to build a sandbox for kids and we recommend you to check out the rest of the projects. Don’t forget to share our projects with your friends, by using the social media widgets.

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