Build sandbox yourself - PDF instructions for Kindersandkasten

• Preparation and material
• Building instructions - sandbox
  • The foundation
  • Prepare frame
  • Put bars
  • Fill the sandbox
  • Build the lid
• variants
• More tips

Who does not like to remember the happy hours of his childhood ">

Preparation and material

Finding the right location

Children can quickly forget the hours in the sandbox. That's why it's important to build the kids sandbox in a shady spot. This prevents the little ones from being exposed to the blazing sun while playing. In addition, the sandpit should always be within sight of the adults. The small children's playground should also be neither visible nor accessible from outside the property. This prevents thefts, soiling and the eyes of unwanted persons.

What every child sandbox needs

A sandbox must technically have some conditions. He needs:

• Weatherproof material
• Protection against fouling from below
• Soak possibility for water
• a cover
• a safe and shatterproof frame

Solid wood is a very suitable material for building a sandbox. A pre-treatment with biological protective resin makes it sufficiently durable for several years.

For the protection against unwanted shoots from below, the trade offers special films. On the one hand, they prevent sprouts from growing through the sand from the ground. At the same time, they are so perforated and breathable that rainwater can seep through.

The seepage of rainwater is further improved when the Kindersandkasten is built on a layer of gravel.

What is often forgotten when building a sandbox is the cover. To put it bluntly: Without a protective, solid lid, the most beautiful sandbox will degenerate into a dog and litter box in just a few days.

Residual wood, such as veneered chipboard, is unsuitable for the construction of a Kindersandkasten. For one, they swell up in the rain. Above all, the veneer does not last very long outdoors. The children will inevitably constantly pick splinters in the fingers. This not only hurts, but can even end in blood poisoning.

Building instructions - sandbox

Wooden children's sandbox

A wooden sandbox is fast, durable and very practical. However, the thick beams necessary for its construction are not cheap. Boards are out of the question for the construction of a sandbox - it must be thick, solid beams. The advantage is that the thick beams allow the children to sit comfortably on the edge. Solid wood with a width of about a hand and two inches wide are ideal for the construction of a sandpit. If this is not available at the hardware store, you will find it at the nearest sawmill.

Here you will find the material list and the individual steps of the construction manual as a PDF to print out: Click here to download: Building sandbox - construction manual

You need:

• spade
• foil
• building materials
• gravel
• Akkubohrschrauber
• 8 long galvanized wood screws M22 x 30 or larger
• 8 matching washers with a diameter of 20 mm and a thickness of 0.5 mm
• Wide hole drills with a diameter of 30 mm or more
• Long hole drill 0.3 meters long and 12 mm in diameter
• grinding machine
• brush
• Linseed oil or natural resin
• Construction sand

The foundation

Setting up a kids sandbox is easy.

The frame of the box is provisionally erected at the desired location. Then you stab with the spade along the outer edge along the grass. The frame is removed again. Now you have exactly the shape from which the sward is removed.

The resulting hole is filled with two layers of gravel. It is sufficient a height of about 7 cm. Subsequently, two layers of foil in the hardware store, there are special "Sandkastenvlies". It costs about 13 euros for 4 square meters. A double layer is particularly effective. Instead of the special sandbox fleece you can also use weed fleece. Only please no carpet, painter's film or other experiments!

Prepare frame

After the child sandbox has been set up according to instructions, the frame can be built. First, the edges of the beams are broken with the grinder and the surfaces are ground off slightly. This prevents the child from getting splinters or other injuries. Then the beams are sealed with ecological wood preservative. This keeps the sandbox in shape for a long time. The four bars are then designed in the desired shape to each other. Common are rectangular or square basic dimensions. With 2 by 2 meters you can make a lot of children happy. With a little courage and a miter box, you can also try on a six- or octagonal Kindersandkasten.

Put bars

The beams are laid to each other. On the flanks of the overlapping, longer beams, drill a straight hole about 5 cm from both edges until the drill has reached the second beam. The hole is extended about 5 cm deep with the wide hole drill. Now the frame can already be screwed with the help of wood screws.

The pre-drilled holes prevent the wood from twisting and breaking when the screws are driven in. The long screws are best screwed in with the cordless screwdriver. You must sit so deep in the wood until the screw head is no longer protruding. The thick washers also prevent the head of the screw from gradually migrating into the wood, thereby losing tension on the construction.

Fill the sandbox

Now the Kindersandkasten is filled with fresh, clean sand. Sand from the building materials trade is much cheaper than buying sacks of sand from the hardware store. Fresh, fine grained sand is ideal because of its formability. Although quartz sand is much finer, it does not absorb moisture well. That's why the cheaper option in this case, the better.

Build the lid

In principle, a lid belongs to a sandbox. Many building instructions also suggest foils as a cover. However, we strongly recommend that you build a sturdy and heavy wooden shutter to protect the sand against contamination.

You need:

• about 2 packages of solid wood panels
• 1 packet of short wood screws
• jigsaw

The panels are cut to match the overall width of the sandbox. On a flat surface, the panels are then inserted into each other by tongue and groove. Above this, four panel boards bolted crosswise to the direction are screwed down - done.
For the thin pannels, it is particularly recommended to pre-drill all screw holes. The lid is also painted after screwing with ecological wood protection.

variants

Fast and practical - the tractor tire

A worn-out tractor tire is the quickest and cheapest way to build a small sandbox. A tractor tire has a diameter of up to 1.50. He is very robust and weatherproof. Best of all, you can usually get suitable tires at the next farmer for free. Even the sandbox from a tractor tire needs a foundation and a lid. For one to two small children, this solution can be enough. The tractor tire should be thoroughly cleaned with a high-pressure cleaner before it is installed.

Concrete and bricks as building material

A concrete or brick playground is of course very durable. If the wooden sandbox only lasts for a maximum of 5 years, the masonry solution is practically for eternity. As children sooner or later grow out of old age, the wooden sandbox is more suitable for single-family homes. If the child has become too old to play with molds, the box can be removed again in a few simple steps. For multi-family houses with changing tenants and numerous children, the bricked child sandbox is of course much more useful. Only then he should be big enough so that there is always enough space for all children. In multi-family houses, the regular control of this very special gaming opportunity is particularly important.

More tips

Maintain the sandbox

With a garden rake the Kindersandkasten is thoroughly raced once or twice a week. Thus, unwanted foreign bodies are immediately noticeable. If, despite all precautions, the child sand box has been used by an animal as a toilet, it should not be used. Only after the exchange of sand is it safe and hygienic to play again.

There are no limits to creativity

A self-made child sandbox can serve as a nucleus for many other projects. A nice park bench or sun lounger nearby makes the place attractive for adults too. Provided with a wooden roof, the game in the sandbox can continue even if it rains once. With a self-made storage box keeps order in the garden and the child always knows where it can find its form. And if you dare, you can also dare to take a children's slide or a climbing frame. Thus, with little dedication and creativity, every garden becomes a children's paradise.