Would your child love to have a sandbox? You don’t have to spend a lot of money having one built. You can construct one yourself, or you can make a really simple sandbox using these ideas.
What a Swimmingly Fun Idea
Purchase a small plastic swimming pool. Measure it and dig a hole that it will just fit inside, place it in the hole, and fill it with sand. You can find bags of sand at nurseries, home improvement centers, and garden centers. You should be able to purchase 25-50 pound bags of sand for just a few dollars each. Throw in a few shovels and pails and your kids can start building sandcastles.
If you live in an apartment or other temporary housing, you can still use the pool idea. Instead of digging a hole, just place the pool in a good spot. Only fill it about half full of sand, so you can move it more easily. Move it around from time to time to avoid damaging grassy areas.
Use Your Noodle
Expanding on the swimming theme, you can use pool “noodles” to frame your sandbox. These foam noodles are inexpensive and come in lots of fun colors. They are between 5′ and 6′ long, so you can use them as is, or cut them down to the desired length with a hacksaw or an electric knife. Once you decide on the size, measure and mark off the area for the sandbox. Dig a shallow hole, the appropriate size (about 6″ deep). Line the hole with landscaping plastic or even heavy-duty trash bags. Frame the hole with the swimming noodles and use twine to attach them to one another at the ends, or purchase pool noodle connectors.
Pool noodles will provide a colorful frame and a soft place for children to sit. You can double them up to any thickness you like, to make a more substantial frame. Then, just fill the hole with sand. Your kids will have hours of fun, and the best part is you can put these sandboxes together in a very short amount of time.