Going to the beach can sometimes require a lot of preparation and taking the time off to enjoy a days outing. My grandsons love playing in the sand at the beach, however that is not always an option. Thus, creating a sandbox for them to enjoy was the next best thing.
Below I will show you the multiple steps I had to go through to create a backyard beach for them to enjoy.
Creating a level spot
The children prefer playing in the shady areas of my yard, so a spot behind my large burning bush, and under my favorite pine was the logical spot. It took a little bit of time to level this area, as this was where I kept my composted dirt pile. Well, sometimes you just have to give up some space, especially when it comes to the kids.
Laying down heavy landscape fabric underneath the box frame was important in keeping the sand inside the box, as well as, making sure it did not seep out during the heavy rains. The large black plastic rectangles in the back are the covers for the box. A neighbor of mine was going to throw them away, so I thought they would be perfect for the box.
A trip to the local store for pressure treated lumber; three 10 foot boards by 10 inches high was all that was needed. One board was cut in half to create the end pieces.
After the boards were nailed together and placed on top of the fabric, we squared it off and nailed seats on opposite corners to secure the shape.
We rolled up the edges of the black fabric and secured it to the outside with some boards we had leftover from another project. This will help to keep the sand securely in the box, which is now ready for the sand. ;-)
Sand... Sand.... and more Sand
A trip to the local garden center with the trailer for 20 bags of sand. They were so heavy to unload at 50 pounds per bag.
After hauling them to the backyard, we stacked them to dump out the sand another day. My husband and I are not as young as we'd like to be...lol.
Sandbox + Beach Toys + Grandson
The project completed, toys, trucks and beach pails added along with one very excited grandson. The whole afternoon was spent making sandcastles, roadways, mountains and rivers overflowing with water to protect the castle from invading armies. The perfect day!
We are enjoying many summer days filled with fun and laughter through the eyes of a child. It sure does bring back fond memories of my youth.
Thank you for stopping by my post, I hope you enjoyed seeing how we built our grand kids a sandbox.
